Sofia Kenin Is Making 2026 Her Comeback Year

Sofia Kenin has just returned to the tournament that changed her life six years ago. Back in 2020, the tennis player won the Australian Open, becoming the top-ranked American woman (No. 4 in the world) and one of the youngest Grand Slam title holders. She was hoping to regain that glory at the 2026 Australian Open.

“I’m a little bit nervous, of course, but I’m seeded, so that’s already great,” the 27-year-old says over Zoom a couple of days ahead of her first match. “All I can do is just wake up, do the best I can, and hope I get the W.”

Kenin hasn’t had the easiest journey over the last few years. In 2022, an ankle injury forced her to pull out of almost every major tournament, resulting in her once-top ranking severely plummeting. Since then, she’s started steadily climbing the ranks again, and her goal for 2026 is to crack the Top 15 once more.

I was never the girl that liked to sit inside and play with dolls.

“I feel good and healthy, which is the most important thing. I had some injury setbacks a few years ago, and now I’m even more motivated, because it can be tough when you’re not playing the best,” Kenin says. “Hopefully I can be Top 15 by the end of the year, but I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself.”

Growing up in southern Florida, Kenin always knew she belonged on a tennis court. “I was never the girl that liked to sit inside and play with dolls,” Kenin says. “I was very active, whether it was kicking a soccer ball or dancing around. But I fell in love with tennis when I went to a tennis court with my family. I was immediately so happy, and I was telling my dad, ‘This is what I want to do.’”

Kenin’s dad took her ambition seriously, becoming her first coach in the sport. “He knows me better than anyone,” Kenin says. “He knows how I feel on the court, and he can be a little bit tougher with me, but that’s for a good reason. There’s no one in the world that’s going to care as much as him.”

That training took Kenin all the way to the pros in 2013, where she’s been able to meet her tennis idols. She was most starstruck to get a few words of wisdom from champion Novak Djokovic right before her big victory in 2020.

I would love to be Top 15 by the end of the year, but I also don’t want to pressure myself.

“Novak told me, ‘Enjoy the moment; you’re doing great,’ and then he suggested some things,” Kenin says. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, Novak Djokovic!’ And then he followed me after I won. We DMed each other, and he congratulated me, and I congratulated him. That’s definitely a moment I’ll remember.”

While Kenin didn’t repeat her 2020 success this year — she was eliminated in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open — she’s optimistic about the year ahead. Along with tennis, she’s also an ambassador for FP Movement. “I just love the clothes. They’re so feminine and comfortable; I feel very pretty on the court as well,” Kenin says. “There are a lot of off-court clothes, too, so I literally wear FP all the time.”

When she’s not on the court, Kenin likes to unwind by watching “Grey’s Anatomy and romance movies,” going on walks with friends, and hunting down the perfect cup of coffee: “Melbourne has some of the best coffees, so I love being here as a big coffee drinker.”

She’s keeping these little pleasures more top-of-mind this season, as she finds a new equilibrium between her professional ambition and her mental health. Kenin is looking forward to competing for a hometown audience at the Miami Open and making her mark with her 2026 run.

“I would love to be Top 15 by the end of the year, but I also don’t want to pressure myself,” she says. “I’m trying to enjoy the moment. Enjoy it, because if you don’t enjoy it, you can have all sorts of goals, but they’re not really going to happen.”