Sofia Kenin Named 2020 WTA Player of the Year
22-year-old Sofia Kenin started and ended her 2020 tennis season with a bang. After an incredible run in Grand Slams in what was an unprecedented year off the court, Kenin was honored with the WTA Player of the Year award.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Congratulations to the 2020 award winners! ??<a href=”https://t.co/MYoJQazvEf”>https://t.co/MYoJQazvEf</a></p>— wta (@WTA) <a href=”https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1336323390286663680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>December 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Kenin becomes the first American to win the award since Serena Williams in 2015. Her success at the highest level began at the Australian Open in January. She preserved through the field and won the title in a three-set thriller over Garbine Muguruza. Kenin became the youngest American to win a Grand Slam since, coincidentally, Serena in 2002.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Maiden Slam Moment!<a href=”https://twitter.com/SofiaKenin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@SofiaKenin</a> captures her first Grand Slam title in a fearless 4-6 6-2 6-2 comeback over Muguruza for the <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#AusOpen</a> women’s singles ?<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#AO2020</a> <a href=”https://t.co/HU8mijCbTh”>pic.twitter.com/HU8mijCbTh</a></p>— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href=”https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1223558921740333057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>February 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
But her Australia run wasn’t by accident. Kenin went on to the finals of Roland Garros and lost to Iga Swiatek. She had an overall record of 16-2 in Slams during the year. Her improvement from last year to this year was incredible. Before 2020, Kenin never surpassed the fourth round of any Grand Slam.
WTA ranked Kenin 4th to end the year, giving her her highest ranking ever. The WTA awards are voted on by members of the international media.
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Sofia Kenin Named 2020 WTA Player of the Year
22-year-old Sofia Kenin started and ended her 2020 tennis season with a bang. After an incredible run in Grand Slams in what was an unprecedented year off the court, Kenin was honored with the WTA Player of the Year award.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Congratulations to the 2020 award winners! ??<a href=”https://t.co/MYoJQazvEf”>https://t.co/MYoJQazvEf</a></p>— wta (@WTA) <a href=”https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1336323390286663680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>December 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Kenin becomes the first American to win the award since Serena Williams in 2015. Her success at the highest level began at the Australian Open in January. She preserved through the field and won the title in a three-set thriller over Garbine Muguruza. Kenin became the youngest American to win a Grand Slam since, coincidentally, Serena in 2002.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Maiden Slam Moment!<a href=”https://twitter.com/SofiaKenin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@SofiaKenin</a> captures her first Grand Slam title in a fearless 4-6 6-2 6-2 comeback over Muguruza for the <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#AusOpen</a> women’s singles ?<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#AO2020</a> <a href=”https://t.co/HU8mijCbTh”>pic.twitter.com/HU8mijCbTh</a></p>— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href=”https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1223558921740333057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>February 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
But her Australia run wasn’t by accident. Kenin went on to the finals of Roland Garros and lost to Iga Swiatek. She had an overall record of 16-2 in Slams during the year. Her improvement from last year to this year was incredible. Before 2020, Kenin never surpassed the fourth round of any Grand Slam.
WTA ranked Kenin 4th to end the year, giving her her highest ranking ever. The WTA awards are voted on by members of the international media.