By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday May 30, 2024
Sofia Kenin endured a nine-match losing streak that took her through the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston and all the way to the red clay.
Miserable, indeed. But after a win at a 125K event in LLeida, two more in Rome, and this week, another two in Roland-Garros the former Australian Open champion and Roland-Garros finalist is feeling very good about her tennis once again.
“I feel back, so yeah, I'm happy,” she said on Wednesday after defeating the top-ranked Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
“I was on a nine-match losing streak this year,” she said. “So I felt like getting that win [in Spain], it obviously helped me for Rome, and then winning those two rounds there gave me confidence.
“Even though Strasbourg (a first-round loss to Chloe Pacquet in qualifying) wasn't the best, I'm glad that it's coming together here because, obviously, this is the place where you want everything to come together.”
Kenin has a thing for Paris, and on court she told the crowd she feels like she has a connection with Court Philippe-Chatrier.
It’s hard to argue with that. The American has a 13-4 lifetime record at Roland-Garros – at the other three majors she is 24-18 combined.
“I love red clay,” said Kenin, who will face Jelena Ostapenko or Clara Tauson in the third round. “I feel like it suits my game. I try to use it to my advantage, and I love the courts here. Especially playing on Philippe-Chatrier was even more special and memorable. I feel like I'm super comfortable on that court. I've got some amazing memories there, so I try to use that to my advantage.”