When Sofia Kenin steps onto the court in the final of the Charleston Open on Sunday, it will mark her first championship match on clay in five years since her 2020 French Open title clash against Iga Swiatek, which she had lost in straight sets. The 26-year-old American will now face compatriot and World No.4 Jessica Pegula on the green clay court of Charleston. The last time an all-American final took place in Charleston was way back in 1990 when Martina Navratilova (who became a US citizen in 1981) beat Jennifer Capriati. More than three decades down the road, the stage is all set for an all-American showdown again. Kenin’s journey to the final, however, was marred by an unwanted incident. In the SF on Saturday, her opponent and compatriot Amanda Anisimova faced a tragic situation, leading to Kenin’s direct entry into the final. But what was heartening to see was the former AO champion’s kind reaction to Anisimova’s unfortunate fate.
Anisimova, who already won a WTA title back in February at the Qatar Open, opted to withdraw from the Charleston semifinal owing to a hip injury when the score was 5-2 in Kenin’s favor in the first set.
Following that, Kenin punched her ticket to the title clash. However, it was clear she wasn’t too happy to see her opponent leave the court in that manner. In a sweet gesture toward Anisimova, Kenin wished her a speedy recovery. “I told her I hope she feels better and recovers well,” the 26-year-old said in her on-court interview.
Continuing further, she added, “It’s a long clay swing and she’s been playing some great tennis throughout the year. I wish her the best of luck, and I really hope she feels better.”
Sofia Kenin had kind words for Amanda Anisimova after she retired from their match in Charleston
“I told her I hope she feels better and recovers well because it’s a long clay swing and she’s been playing some great tennis throughout the year. I wish her the best of luck and I… pic.twitter.com/C57P4ysypX
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 5, 2025
Anisimova has been struggling with injuries in the last couple of weeks. She had to take a medical time-out during her R32 match against Mirra Andreeva in Miami as well, last month. It was because of a wounded finger on her right hand. The situation turned slightly controversial, too at the time. Why? Well, Andreeva wasn’t pleased with the MTO’s timing. Anisimova called for it during the third set when she was leading 3-1 with Andreeva serving at 40-40. The 17-year-old even told the chair umpire, “She can take the physio when she has to serve. This, you know, we all know”
To this, the umpire responded, “Just listen to me, she has a right. The physio will have a look and she will determine if it’s now or later,” But Andreeva immediately shot back, “Of course, she has a right and of course, she’s going to do it right now. We all know why.”
But that wasn’t it. Even in her next encounter, that was the R16 match against Emma Raducanu, Anisimova called for an MTO. At the end of the first set, she called her physio to check the fingers of her right hand.
Annisimova is out of the Charleston Open, nonetheless, and it’s all about Kenin and Pegula now. Kenin’s run in this Charleston Open has been nothing less than extraordinary. The American has exuded confidence right through the tournament.
Sofia Kenin says it’s “tough to beat” her
Sofia Kenin began her Charleston Open campaign with a straight-set win against compatriot Bernarda Pera. In her next match, she ousted a formidable opponent in Belinda Bencic, before taking down Daria Kasatkina in straight sets with a score line of 6-3, 7-6(7).
After beating Kasatkina and securing a place in the QF, Kenin said, “I felt like I had a good game plan coming to the match, and yeah, I mean I played some good tennis.” Continuing further, she added, “You know the way I played today, I really felt the ball on my racket, so you know if I’m playing like this, it’s tough to beat me, so yeah, I am very happy, I have a lot of confidence.” To put it in perspective, Kenin hasn’t dropped a set in her Charleston run so far. Impressive, isn’t it?
Now, her sole target is the winner’s trophy. Before the final, she made her intentions clear. “It would be amazing,” she said. “I’m obviously going to do the best I can to get the title. I got to the final and (now) I’m just going to go for it. Regardless of what happens, I’m really happy with this week and (will) take every positive thing that I’ve done here.”
Going into the final battle, Pegula has a slight edge over Kenin. Currently, she’s leading the h2h tally 3-2, and she has been in great form lately. Last month, she even reached the title clash at the Miami Open before losing to the World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. Who do you think will emerge victorious in this all-American showdown on Sunday? Let us know in the comments below.
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