“The plan is to play. I’ll do everything I can for tomorrow,” a fired-up Sofia Kenin declared, ahead of last year’s Tokyo Open final. Despite her grit, it ended in heartbreak, as China’s Qinwen Zheng beat her to claim the title in straight sets. The former World No. 4 has seen several ups and downs in the last six months, including a straight-set defeat at the hands of Coco Gauff in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this year, but her story seems to have taken a sharp turn in Charleston. Kenin is back in business, storming into the quarterfinals of the ongoing Charleston Open with renewed fire and confidence. After dispatching Daria Kasatkina in the Round of 16, the 26-year-old is radiating belief.
Delivering a commanding performance against the newly turned-Aussie Kasatkina, Kenin dominated with a 61 percent first-serve win rate and an impressive 68 percent on her second serve, cruising to victory in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7). With 13 games under her belt and a ticket to the last eight secured, Kenin is back in her groove: fierce, focused, and full of fire! After the match, she didn’t hold back, confidently declaring she was finding her rhythm and swagger.
Speaking in the post-match interview, Kenin said, “I felt like I had a good game plan coming to the match, and yeah, I mean I played some good tennis. You know the way I played today I really felt the ball on my racket, so you know if I playing like this it’s tough to beat me so yeah I am very happy, I have lot of confidence.”
Sofia Kenin after beating Daria Kasatkina in Charleston
“If I play like this, it’s tough to beat me.”
Confident Sonya is back. 😤
pic.twitter.com/XtuZzGJqIe
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 4, 2025
And honestly, she’s not wrong. Since her return to Charleston’s clay, Sofia Kenin has been a woman on a mission. She hasn’t dropped a single set in the tournament so far. The American bageled Belinda Bencic in a ruthless R32 performance and then coolly dispatched 5th seed Daria Kasatkina to keep her momentum rolling.
After a tough Miami Open loss that could’ve crushed her spirit, Collins is now embracing a refreshed mindset. Earlier, after making a winning start to the tournament with a first-round victory against Bernarda Pera, Kenin reflected on her form.
“I’m still feisty” —Sofia Kenin gets real as she powers through Charleston
Who could forget Sofia Kenin’s painful Miami Open exit last month, where the third seed Coco Gauff handed her a crushing 6-0, 6-0 defeat? But fast forward to the Credit One Charleston Open, and Kenin is writing a completely different story. In her first round match on April 1 against fellow American Bernarda Pera, the former French Open finalist looked sharp and dangerously close to her vintage best.
Despite Pera outpacing her in aces (7 to 5) and committing fewer double faults, Kenin brought the fire where it mattered most: break-point conversions. Clinching a composed 6-3, 6-4 win, she later spoke with Tennis Channel, where the big question dropped: Is she still the same fearless force who lifted the 2020 AO trophy?
Kenin responded, “I feel like I need some more matches and a little bit more confidence. I feel like, just to find my groove a bit more and I feel like I’m getting closer to the feisty kid. I’m still feisty. So, I can remember Lauren, I was always watching her at the time and it was Sony Ericsson or Sony Open.”
She further continued, “I was watching her. That girl was very fearless, walking with that sassy attitude on the court. A little bit (less feisty than how she was when she won AO). I’m trying to take things a little bit easier and then when the time is right, you’ll see the feistiness,”
Next up, the American takes on 26-year-old Russian Anna Kalinskaya, who recently made headlines by dismantling current AO champion Madison Keys in straight sets. With Kenin riding high on confidence, do you think she will go all in and punch her ticket to the semifinals? Share your thoughts in the comments below.