In the coaching carousel era, Sofia Kenin and her father are as safe as possible | TENNIS.com

"When I was not playing with Barbie dolls," said Sofia Kenin, "I always played with different types of balls, and my dad said, let's try tennis.

"As I started to grow, play more tournaments and climb the rankings, I found that my potential was huge."

For those who follow tennis closely, the potential of Kenin is not a trade secret. The 20-year-old has been playing in the US Open main draw since 2015, thanks to her junior successes, and she won her first WTA title earlier this year. But for those who watched Kenin play for the first time Saturday, when she beat Serena Williams at Roland Garros in two sets, his potential is probably a topic of discussion. How high can it climb?

Kenin, at least, thinks she can go as high as she can.

"I've always wanted to be # 1 in the world," says Kenin in his TenniStory, which you can look up at. (Duration: 3:09)

Kenin may have made some other believers after his confident performance on a world stage. Against Williams, Kenin returned 23 winners and won 72% of his points for the first serve. Serena, whose service remains one of the most talented shots in tennis, won only 63% of those points and was broken four times.

"I think she's played very well," Williams said. "I think in the first set in particular, she hit a few inches off the line, and I have not played any player like that for a long time, so like, yeah, she played really well."

There is certainly another believer: Kenin's father, Alexander. Kenins left Moscow for the United States. Since then, Alexander's goal has been to give Sofia – who also goes through Sonya – the greatest chance of succeeding in the game.

Sofia has been trained in some of the largest tennis academies in the country and has taken home education to prioritize her involvement in the sport. His father has been with him all along his journey. Without any formal training, Alexander has coached her daughter since she avoided Barbie for a setback, and he was on Philippe Chatrier's field Saturday, beaming as Sofia made the biggest win of his career.

"I knew I was obviously not the favorite," Sofia said. "I had my dad, my team, everyone there to support me, and, you know, it's all I needed to win, and just happy to share that." moment with them. "