"I'm sorry I had to win" - Sofia Kenin apologizes to French Open fans after beating home favorite Caroline Garcia in stunning 2R upset
Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin caused a huge upset at the 2024 French Open as she defeated home favorite Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-3 in the second round on Wednesday (May 29). The American apologized to the home crowd for picking up the win against the Frenchwoman and thanked them for their support.
Coming into the match, the American had not had a great season on tour. The 21st-seeded Frenchwoman, too, had faced early exits in Madrid and Rome. Kenin had a 2-0 lead over Garcia in their head-to-head record.
In the first round, the 2020 Australian Open winner defeated Laura Siegemund while Garcia got the better of Eva Lys.
Although rain suspended play on most of the outside courts on Day 4 of the tournament, the second-round battle between Kenin and Garcia moved ahead uninterrupted inside the Court Philippe-Chatrier. The home hope soon found herself 2-4 down in the first set, which eventually turned into a 3-6 loss.
A similar story unfolded in the second set for the pair. Kenin led 3-1, then 4-2, and eventually closed out the set 6-3 for a remarkable win. The 2020 French Open runner-up was elated with her win.
"You know, [Caroline Garcia's] such a tough player, and I'm sorry that I had to win. But, thank you guys for supporting and I really enjoyed the atmosphere today," Kenin said during her post-match interview on the court.
Kenin reached the final of the Paris Slam in 2020, where she lost to Iga Swiatek. In 2021, she managed a fourth-round finish but has not been able to play in the main draw since then. She was thus asked how it felt to be back on Court Philippe-Chatrier after a couple of years.
"Yeah, I absolutely love this court. I feel like I have some kind of connection here and, yeah, I really enjoy it every time I step out of the court and I feel like I'm playing some great tennis and, you know, the hard work is paying off. So, I'm very happy," Kenin explained.
Sofia Kenin delighted with the crowd support against Caroline Garcia during their French Open 2024 2R clash
Since she was facing a home favorite, not many would have expected Sofia Kenin to receive any support from the crowd. However, she self-admittedly did hear her name being cheered "here and there" and she was grateful for it.
"Of course the fans are all supporting her, which, obviously, is understandable. But, I'm happy I had a few fans calling my name here and there and it was a great atmosphere," Kenin said in a post-match interview with Tennis Channel.
In the third round, Sofia Kenin will face the winner of the match between Jelena Ostapenko and Clara Tauson.