Paris
Sofia Kenin no longer will be coached by her father, announcing just weeks before the French Open she is “putting together a new technical team.”
Kenin, the Australian Open champion and French Open runner-up in 2020, wrote about the switch on Instagram on Friday.
The post included a photo of Kenin and her dad, Alex, posing with the Australian Open trophy last year.
“I wanted to let everyone know that after many years together I have decided to part ways with my father as my coach.
This was not an easy decision for me as we shared many great moments together and had a lot of success,” Kenin said. “I will be forever grateful for my dad’s sacrifice and contributions towards getting me to where I am today.”
The 22-year-old American is No. 4 in the WTA rankings. Her father has been a constant presence at Kenin’s side on tour and in the stands, sometimes warned by chair umpires for coaching during matches, which isn’t allowed at major tournaments.
That happened during the fourth round of last year’s French Open, when Alex Kenin also switched seats and plopped himself down right next to the coach of Sofia’s opponent (so much for social distancing amid a pandemic).—AP
