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Sofia Kenin was born in [[Moscow]], Russia, to Alexander and Svetlana Kenin. Kenin is Jewish, and was born in a Jewish family, and has a younger sister.[{{cite web |last1=Lyons |first1=David |title=Sofia Kenin was Broward's little underdog. Now she's the Australian Open champ. |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/tennis/fl-sp-sofia-kenin-australian-open-20200202-43ngw77z4bf33easv46q3bhxz4-story.html |website=Sun Sentinel |access-date=September 19, 2020 |date=February 1, 2020 |archive-date=March 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303044613/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/tennis/fl-sp-sofia-kenin-australian-open-20200202-43ngw77z4bf33easv46q3bhxz4-story.html |url-status=live }}][{{cite news |last1=Bloom |first1=Nate |title=A fairly comprehensive list of Diaspora Jews at the Tokyo Olympics |url=https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/a-fairly-comprehensive-list-of-diaspora-jews-at-the-tokyo-olympics/ |work=[[Times of Israel]] |date=August 16, 2021}}] Her family moved to the United States a few months after she was born. They had previously left the [[Soviet Union]] to live in New York City in 1987 but returned to Russia for Kenin's birth so that other family members could help raise her initially. Her mother had worked as a nurse in the Soviet Union, and her parents had only $286 when they first moved to the United States. |
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Sofia Kenin was born in [[Moscow]], Russia, to Alexander Kenin and Svetlana Kenina. Kenin is Jewish, and was born in a Jewish family, and has a younger sister.[{{cite web |last1=Lyons |first1=David |title=Sofia Kenin was Broward's little underdog. Now she's the Australian Open champ. |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/tennis/fl-sp-sofia-kenin-australian-open-20200202-43ngw77z4bf33easv46q3bhxz4-story.html |website=Sun Sentinel |access-date=September 19, 2020 |date=February 1, 2020 |archive-date=March 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303044613/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/tennis/fl-sp-sofia-kenin-australian-open-20200202-43ngw77z4bf33easv46q3bhxz4-story.html |url-status=live }}][{{cite news |last1=Bloom |first1=Nate |title=A fairly comprehensive list of Diaspora Jews at the Tokyo Olympics |url=https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/a-fairly-comprehensive-list-of-diaspora-jews-at-the-tokyo-olympics/ |work=[[Times of Israel]] |date=August 16, 2021}}] Her family moved to the United States a few months after she was born. They had previously left the [[Soviet Union]] to live in New York City in 1987 but returned to Russia for Kenin's birth so that other family members could help raise her initially. Her mother had worked as a nurse in the Soviet Union, and her parents had only $286 when they first moved to the United States. |
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Kenin began playing tennis at the age of five, drawing inspiration from her father who had played recreationally. Her parents recognized her potential and arranged for her to begin training with [[Rick Macci]] in [[Broward County, Florida]]. Macci coached Kenin for seven years until she was 12. He remarked: "Back then [when Kenin was five], I came right out and said Sofia was the scariest little creature I’d ever seen. It was unique: the hand-eye coordination and her ability to take the ball immediately right after the bounce. I have a lot of kids do that, but it was almost like it was baked in already, even though she was little and the racket was actually bigger than her. The only player I’ve seen like that is former world No. 1 [[Martina Hingis]]."[{{cite web |last1=Clarey |first1=Christopher |title=American Tennis Gets an Infusion of Talent From Immigrant Families — Again |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/02/sports/sofia-kenin-amanda-anisimova.html |website=New York Times |access-date=June 23, 2019 |date=June 2, 2019 |archive-date=June 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624115552/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/02/sports/sofia-kenin-amanda-anisimova.html |url-status=live }}] Kenin has also worked with [[Nick Bollettieri]].[{{cite web |title=Biography |url=http://sonyakenin.us/about.html |website=Sofia Kenin |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-date=January 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113062825/http://sonyakenin.us/about.html |url-status=live }}] Her primary coach had always been her father[{{Cite web |url=https://www.espn.com.au/tennis/story/_/id/31405976/sofia-kenin-fires-father-coach-ahead-french-open |title=Kenin drops dad as coach ahead of French Open |date=May 7, 2021 |access-date=May 8, 2021 |archive-date=May 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508102616/https://www.espn.com.au/tennis/story/_/id/31405976/sofia-kenin-fires-father-coach-ahead-french-open |url-status=live }}][{{cite web | url=https://www.tennis.com/baseline/articles/sofia-kenin-adds-dad-back-on-coaching-team-aims-to-return-next-season | title=Sofia Kenin adds dad back on coaching team, aims to return next season }}] Her childhood tennis idols were Serena Williams and [[Maria Sharapova]]. Kenin particularly has praised Sharapova's fierce competitiveness.[{{cite web |last1=Gatto |first1=Luigi |title=Sofia Kenin shares what she likes the most about Maria Sharapova |url=https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Serena_Williams/75539/sofia-kenin-shares-what-she-likes-the-most-about-maria-sharapova/ |website=Tennis World USA |access-date=September 19, 2020 |date=August 17, 2019 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108002112/https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Serena_Williams/75539/sofia-kenin-shares-what-she-likes-the-most-about-maria-sharapova/ |url-status=live }}] |
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Kenin began playing tennis at the age of five, drawing inspiration from her father who had played recreationally. Her parents recognized her potential and arranged for her to begin training with [[Rick Macci]] in [[Broward County, Florida]]. Macci coached Kenin for seven years until she was 12. He remarked: "Back then [when Kenin was five], I came right out and said Sofia was the scariest little creature I’d ever seen. It was unique: the hand-eye coordination and her ability to take the ball immediately right after the bounce. I have a lot of kids do that, but it was almost like it was baked in already, even though she was little and the racket was actually bigger than her. The only player I’ve seen like that is former world No. 1 [[Martina Hingis]]."[{{cite web |last1=Clarey |first1=Christopher |title=American Tennis Gets an Infusion of Talent From Immigrant Families — Again |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/02/sports/sofia-kenin-amanda-anisimova.html |website=New York Times |access-date=June 23, 2019 |date=June 2, 2019 |archive-date=June 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624115552/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/02/sports/sofia-kenin-amanda-anisimova.html |url-status=live }}] Kenin has also worked with [[Nick Bollettieri]].[{{cite web |title=Biography |url=http://sonyakenin.us/about.html |website=Sofia Kenin |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-date=January 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113062825/http://sonyakenin.us/about.html |url-status=live }}] Her primary coach had always been her father[{{Cite web |url=https://www.espn.com.au/tennis/story/_/id/31405976/sofia-kenin-fires-father-coach-ahead-french-open |title=Kenin drops dad as coach ahead of French Open |date=May 7, 2021 |access-date=May 8, 2021 |archive-date=May 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508102616/https://www.espn.com.au/tennis/story/_/id/31405976/sofia-kenin-fires-father-coach-ahead-french-open |url-status=live }}][{{cite web | url=https://www.tennis.com/baseline/articles/sofia-kenin-adds-dad-back-on-coaching-team-aims-to-return-next-season | title=Sofia Kenin adds dad back on coaching team, aims to return next season }}] Her childhood tennis idols were Serena Williams and [[Maria Sharapova]]. Kenin particularly has praised Sharapova's fierce competitiveness.[{{cite web |last1=Gatto |first1=Luigi |title=Sofia Kenin shares what she likes the most about Maria Sharapova |url=https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Serena_Williams/75539/sofia-kenin-shares-what-she-likes-the-most-about-maria-sharapova/ |website=Tennis World USA |access-date=September 19, 2020 |date=August 17, 2019 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108002112/https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Serena_Williams/75539/sofia-kenin-shares-what-she-likes-the-most-about-maria-sharapova/ |url-status=live }}] |
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