Who is Emma Raducanu’s US Open first round opponent? Sofia Kenin can relate to Brit’s struggles after Grand Slam success

There are some blockbuster round one clashes in the US Open women’s singles draw – and one of them involves Emma Raducanu.

Three years on from her US Open triumph, Raducanu is looking to make her way back into the game on a permanent level and faces a tough start to her campaign versus fellow Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin.

Kenin’s story is not too dissimilar from Raducanu’s; she can relate to the struggles of life after a surprise Slam win.

Ahead of action in New York, we look at the American’s journey.

Rise up the sport

Kenin was a leading tennis prodigy for several years, working with famed coaches Rick Macci and Nick Bolletieri, and spending time with Kim Clijsters, Jim Courier, and Venus Williams as a young girl.

In 2015 she reached the Junior US Open final and reached a high of second in the ITF junior world rankings, and it wasn’t long before she began to make her mark in the senior game.

After receiving wildcards into the 2015 and 2016 US Opens, losing in round one on both occasions, she made the third round as a wildcard in 2017.

Kenin beat 32nd seed Lauren Davis and qualifier Sachia Vickery to reach the third round, where she impressed despite tasting defeat to Maria Sharapova.

She ended 2017 as the world No 113 but was ranked world No 52 by the end of 2018, making her maiden appearance at the three other Grand Slam events.

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Grand Slam champion

2019 was a significant breakthrough year for the American, who reached the first four WTA finals of her career – winning three of them.

She made further headlines with a big win at the French Open, defeating Serena Williams in round three to reach the second week of a major for the first time.

By the start of 2020, she was the world No 14 and was seeded 14th at the Australian Open, reaching her first major quarter-final – where she beat Ons Jabeur to reach the last four.

Kenin was a significant underdog against world No 1 and home favourite Ashleigh Barty but stunned the Australian to reach the final – and downed Garbine Muguruza to lift the title.

That was quickly followed by a fifth – and currently, last – title in Lyon that March, before COVID struck and the tour shut down.

However, she remained in good form when the tour resumed, reaching the second week of the US Open before making a second Grand Slam final at the French Open – beaten by Iga Swiatek.

Ongoing struggles

Since 2020, Kenin has struggled to consistently make her mark on tour.

She lost in the second round of her Australian Open title defence and, after falling out of the top 10 by the end of 2021, fell even further during 2022.

Ongoing injury issues saw the 26-year-old fall outside the top 300 at one point, withdrawing from the French Open and Wimbledon and ending the year as the world No 235.

Eye-catching results in 2023 seemed to suggest a resurgence.

Kenin defeated Aryna Sabalenka at the Italian Open and, after coming through qualifying, shocked Coco Gauff in round one of Wimbledon.

The American also made the semi-final of the WTA 1000 event in Guadalajara and reached her first final in almost three years in San Diego, falling to Barbora Krejcikova in three sets.

However, she has been unable to build on that throughout 2024.

Kenin has been dealt some rough draws – losing to Swiatek in round one of the Australian Open and Wimbledon – but has just eight wins to her name in singles action, with 20 losses.

She reached round three at the French Open but has just one hard court win to her name in the build-up to Flushing Meadows, reaching round two in Cleveland after opening losses in Washington and Toronto.

After finishing the 2023 season as the world No 33, Kenin has slipped back to world No 54.

Raducanu is still the lower-ranked of the two, but there is certainly an opportunity for her here.

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