World No.6 Sofia Kenin continued her brilliant run in Grand Slams in 2020, as she secured her spot in her second Major final of the season at Roland Garros.
The fourth seed overcame some late resistance from seventh-seeded Petra Kvitova in the semifinals, prevailing 6-4 7-5 after an hour and 45 minutes.
“She’s such a tough player, she’s got a great aggressive game and such a big serve. I knew I had to bring my ‘A’ game in order to win,” she said after the match.
“I’m super proud of myself, it was a great match, and I’m super happy.”
Kenin now holds a 16-1 record in Grand Slams this year, after claiming her maiden Major trophy at the Australian Open in February. She will face Polish teenager Iga Swiatek in the final on Saturday, as the 19-year old swept past Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska 6-2 6-1 in the other semifinal.
“I’ve already done it in Australia,” she said, regarding competing in her second Grand Slam final. “I’ve had tough matches these past two weeks and I’m so excited to be in the final. It’s incredible. I’m going to enjoy this moment today and get ready for the final tomorrow.
“We played in juniors in the French Open," Kenin added when asked about facing Swiatek. "It was a close one. I’m going to prepare for the final and I’m going to do my best.”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.