"I saw everyone playing the tournaments i was supposed to be playing in and of course it made me sad"- Sofia Kenin on her ankle injury and recovery
Sofia Kenin penned a heartfelt post on Instagram about her injury and her recovery on the occasion of National Recovery Month.
The American won the Australian Open in 2020 and was No. 4 in the WTA rankings at one point. However, injuries hampered her 2022 season and she dropped below the top 300 in the WTA rankings.
In the caption of her post, the 23-year-old said that it was tough not being able to travel and compete and that it was difficult to see others play in tournaments.
"Since September is National Recovery Month, I wanted to share some of my own experiences recovering from injury. I hope this can help anyone who is going through something similar! When I injured my ankle, it was really tough not being able to compete and travel. I saw everyone playing the tournaments I was supposed to be playing in, and of course it made me sad and I felt pretty down," Sofia Kenin wrote.
The 2020 Australian Open champion said that she underwent physical therapy and felt better mentally once her body started to heal.
"But I knew that I had to put my health first because that is most important, even outside of tennis. As soon as I was able, I began going to physical therapy everyday and doing everything I could to get back to doing what I love - playing and competing. Once my body started to heal and I got stronger, I felt better mentally because I knew that soon enough I would be back on the court," Kenin added.
The 23-year-old also stated that she had a great support system to get her through the injury and that she kept a positive mindset in her battle to improve on and off the court.
"I had a great support system to get me through my injury and the team at KT tape was a huge part of that," Sofia Kenin added. "Keeping a positive mindset and focusing on the bigger picture was super important to me during this time, and it still is as I continue to get better on and off the court!""
How has Sofia Kenin fared since returning to action
Sofia Kenin has won two out of seven matches so far since returning to action. She reached the quarterfinals of Tennis in the Land in Cleveland before losing to Bernarda Pera.
Kenin competed at the US Open and suffered a 7-6(3), 6-4 defeat at the hands of Jule Niemeier in the first round. She is currently ranked 252nd in the world and will participate at the WTA 500 events in Tokyo and San Diego using a protected ranking.
Jule Niemeier is through to the second round in New York for the first time! The Porsche Team Germany player defeats former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin in her main draw debut. Congrats! 🥳 https://t.co/XNSeCdQdyE