Sofia Kenin: There is No Secret for Success; I Am Just Trying My Best

Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin says she has always been feisty since her younger days and hated losing, which has helped her tremendously so far in her career, according to the Gulf News.

Speaking to the media in Dubai, Kenin, who won the Australian Open in January for her first Grand Slam title, says,  “I had that (being feisty) since I started playing tennis. I always had that. I was competitive. I hated losing. I was always crying when I was losing, even in practice. Yeah, I guess I was pretty competitive when I was a little kid. There is no secret for success. I am playing every match. I’m trying my best. There’s not much to hide. Game-wise I am not going to say anything because every opponent is different and besides, I cannot give tactics of what I’m doing.”

Kenin says she is also learning to deal with the pressure that comes with being a Grand Slam champion. “Yeah, I am trying to see what each player is doing and how they handle the pressure. I think one has to learn from the best. Of course, they’re not going to tell you all their secrets or everyone would be Grand Slam champions and be able to sustain this level. Yeah, I’m just going to see what they’re doing. I’ve got my dad here, my agents and everything. Hopefully they can help me out and just keep the process going forward.”

Kenin, who helped the United States beat Latvia in the Fed Cup after her Australian Open win, says she is continuing to work hard even after the Australian Open and will hopefully have more good results. “I learnt a lot of things about myself. Those two weeks really changed my life. I handled everything well, all the pressure well. Obviously different expectations now, I would say. Now, it’s just more stuff to do. Everything is about the same. I’m still practising, still working hard. Just going to keep grinding it and hopefully have more of those good results. And hopefully, I can somehow take it easy and not let it get into my head.”

Kenin will meet Kazakh Elena Rybakina, another in-form player. Rybakina started the year by winning the Hobart International, then reached the third round of the Australian Open and is also through to the finals in St. Petersburg where is playing Kiki Bertens on Sunday.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2vE4cyY