When Kim predicted Kenin would be able
NEW DELHI : Catching them young in sports was passe decades ago. Tiger Woods swung a club at three, and since then it has been more like ‘catch ‘em very young’. For women’s tennis, which boasts of a 16-year-old Martina Hingis as its youngest Grand Slam winner of the Open Era, the real stories of adventure belong to prodigies with roots in Russia whose racquets have hit the high notes, invariably in the US.
Sofia Kenin is the latest in the line. Born in Moscow before her parents migrated to live in New York and then moved to Florida.
Dubbed a prodigy after she started playing at five, Kenin’s steely focus as a child was recalled by WTA Insider, official site of women’s tennis, on Saturday, after her breakthrough.
In a delightful video shot during the 2005 Miami Masters, Belgian star Kim Clijsters (who would win her first Slam later that year) takes a six-year-old Kenin on a venue tour. “Are you going to be a global star?”, asks a tournament official. The wideeyed, pony-tailed Kenin gives a firm nod as Kenin’s father Alexander and Clijsters watch.
Kenin is then introduced to Andy Roddick and a few others. She is neither overawed nor disinterested. Clijsters takes her to watch a game from the players’ box, but the best is reserved for the trip to the media conference room. As she slips into the hot seat, and Clijsters explains how players field questions from the media, a question is put to the young girl by someone.
“Which one would you want to win? The Wimbledon or the US Open?” The reply is barely a whisper, but the priority is clear. “Wimbledon”, grins the girl. Clijsters gives her early verdict. “It’s great to see the future of tennis, I guess. She might be one of the big stars of tennis when I’m home …. She is a very pretty, good girl. I think she is going to be good, yes?” Her ward nods vigorously again.
On Saturday, Clijsters hailed the player who she had introduced to tennis stardom years ago. “congrats @Sofiakenin on your first grand slam title – you’ve shown what’s possible with focus, hard work and determination!” she tweeted.
Alex Kenin, asked about the secret of women players of Russian origin excelling in tennis, said: “I think there is something there. The root. The root is very tough. Tough and bitter. What is around it is a decoration, but there is something inside.”