She’s Back!! Former Slam champ Kenin stuns Gauff at Wimbledon

Sofia Kenin defeated Coco Gauff 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 on Monday evening and will play Chinese Xinyu Wang in the next round

Sofia Kenin 2023 Wimbledon | Action Plus/ Panoramic

Tennis Majors

July 3, 2023

Wimbledon •First round • completed

See draw

S. KeninvsC. Gauff

The long wait for another Grand Slam win is finally over for American Sofia Kenin. The 2020 Australian Open champion has suffered through a litany of injuries over the last two seasons, and dropped outside of the top 400 for a spell, but she has caught fire at Wimbledon, making her way through qualifying to take her place in the first round, where she toppled world No 7 Coco Gauff on Monday at Wimbledon.

Kenin, ranked No 128, will face Chinese Xinyu Wang, after earning her first Grand Slam main draw win since Wimbledon 2021.

What were the keys to her second career victory over Gauff?

“Just play point by point, don’t get over anxious and super excited,” Kenin said. “I just tried to stick to my plan – I was super happy that I got finished before it got dark, because I didn’t really feel like finishing tomorrow, to be honest.”

“I knew: at crucial moments, got to hit to the forehand – I don’t want to hit to the backhand at crucial points.”
Sofia Kenin

The 24-year-old American earned her first top 10 win at a Slam since the 2020 Australian Open semi-finals (Barty) by cracking 22 winners against 18 unforced errors in a spirited tussle on No.1 Court that lasted two hours and three minutes.

Kenin broke serve four times from ten opportunities, including 3-for-3 in the final set, and saved four of six break points.

“This means a lot. I had to go through quallies,” she said. I battled out there and I just took this match as any other match, I knew that Coco is having a great season and a great year, I’m very proud of myself.”

Kenin – I targeted Gauff’s forehand

The tactics were simple for Kenin against the 19-year-old. Play to the forehand on all the big points. She said she directed traffic to Gauff’s weaker wing all day, but changed directions at times just to keep the teenager off balance.

“I knew that was a tactic for me, but she started picking up good shots, hitting the lines,” Kenin said, “so I was like ‘OK, I may have to switch my tactics, hit to the backhand to not let her be too comfortable with the forehand,’ but then I knew: at crucial moments, got to the forehand – I don’t want to hit to the backhand at crucial points.”

Gauff – “I knew she was playing with confidence”

Gauff drops to 13-3 lifetime in first-round matches at Slams, and 1-2 lifetime against Kenin. She said afterwards that she wasn’t surprised at the level of tennis Kenin played at.

“I knew that with three wins under her belt from quallies, I knew she was going to be playing with confidence,” she said. “It’s always possible for somebody to get back to that level. She’s still on the younger end of her career. I think with how she played today, it shouldn’t be too long.”

London (Grand Slam), other first-round results (All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, grass, GBP 2.000.000, most recent results first):