In 2020, Sofia Kenin emerged as a top name in WTA tennis with her Australian Open win and also her French Open runner-up spot which saw her win the WTA Player of the Year award.
But 2021 has been anything but breakout for the American who is set to miss the US Open after testing positive for COVID-19.
The 22-year-old who is fully vaccinated revealed the news on Wednesday evening and joined Serena and Venus Williams in announcing their withdrawals also before the draw was made.
“I plan to spend the next several weeks getting healthy and preparing to play well this fall,” the world No. 5 wrote on social media. “Thank you all for supporting me. I want to wish all the players the best of luck in New York.”
When her 2020 Roland Garros points drop in five weeks, she will be a main casualty from the top ten. Her year has seen a poor Australian Open title defence before revealing post tournament that she was suffering from appendicitis.
A split from coach and father, Alex Kenin attempted to breathe new life into her stalling momentum but a defeat to Maria Sakkari in the French Open and an early loss to Madison Brengle at Wimbledon has seen her not compete since and her return won't come at Flushing Meadows.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.