How tough is Iga Swiatek’s first round? Get to know Sofia Kenin, 2020 Australian Open champion

All eyes were on the top quarter of the 2024 Australian Open women’s draw when nearly all of most dangerous floaters landed in Iga Swiatek’s section.

The top seed and world No. 1 will have to hit the ground running to kick off her Melbourne campaign as her tournament starts with Sofia Kenin, the woman she defeated to win her first major title at 2020 Roland Garros.

Kenin was playing her second Grand Slam final of the year when she took on Swiatek and ended the season as the 2020 WTA Player of the Year, and though injuries and inconsistencies have stunted her progress, the American is still a tough prospect for even the game’s biggest names.

Catch up with Kenin before she takes on Swiatek on Tuesday:

The Basics

• DOB: November 14, 1998
• Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
• Height: 5’7” (1.7 m)
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
• Career-high rank: No. 4
• Coach: Alex Kenin

The Bio

Kenin boasts deep roots on the professional tour. At five years old, she took a tour of the Miami Open with Kim Clijsters, who introduced her to the likes of Andy Roddick as a future star.

Now 25 years old, Kenin has largely made good on that promise as a Grand Slam champion and former Top 4 player. After a breakout 2019 saw her score a Roland Garros upset over Serena Williams and capture three WTA titles, she hit a new plateau when she stunned then-world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty en route to the 2020 Australian Open title.

The quest for Kenin now lies in the journey back to that prior brilliance after a foot injury sent her tumbling out of the Top 100. She put down a stabilizing season in 2023, reaching her first WTA final in nearly three years and the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament in Guadalajara. Her most headline-grabbing result came at Wimbledon, when she upset Coco Gauff in the first round. While Gauff has gone on to the Grand Slam glory Kenin once enjoyed, those heady results have continued to elude her.

This Week

Kenin began the 2024 season against an in-form Arina Rodionova in Brisbane, and won her first match of the year last week in Hobart before exiting in the second round to another Aussie in Daria Saville.

Set to open Day 3 action on Rod Laver Arena, Kenin will be the undisputed underdog against Swiatek, who hasn’t lost a match since the Toray Pan Pacific Open last September. The four-time Grand Slam champion went undefeated in her season debut at the United Cup, where she was named MVP.

Kenin will need to swing freely and hit through Swiatek’s heavy topspin, which could unnerve the Pole if Kenin is finding her spots. She will also need a strong serving day against one of the tour’s most confident returners. Still, might there be some Melbourne magic still on court for Kenin to find? Despite her pedigree, it would nonetheless be one of the biggest upsets of the year.