It has been a long road back for Sofia Kenin.
Once a top-five player in the world, Kenin fell on hard times just when her career looked to be taking off.
The 2020 Australian Open champion endured a pair of tumultuous seasons in 2021 and 2022. Kenin took the court increasingly less while fighting multiple injuries.
She had fallen out of the limelight, but on Monday, she sparkled. Kenin upset seventh-seeded Coco Gauff in three sets at Wimbledon, her second win over top-five competition this year.
Stunning Sofia 🌟
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2023
Qualifier @SofiaKenin prevails in a high-quality battle against fellow American Coco Gauff, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 🙌 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/vgewwv2RSl
At just 24, Kenin has plenty of time to turn her career around. And with her form percolating at the right time, many of her supporters believe she has what it takes to get back to the mountaintop sooner rather than later.
MORE: Full bracket for 2023 Wimbledon singles tournament
With that, here's what you need to know about Sofia Kenin, whose glow has dimmed in recent years but may be brightening again.
What happened to Sofia Kenin?
With a backhand kissed by fire, Kenin took the tennis world by storm. The American found herself ranked No. 210 in the WTA standings in 2017. Back then, she was a spindly 17-year-old hoping to force her way up the daunting slope of the professional game
Kenin had all the tools to succeed. She just had to grow into her style of play.
That growth came in 2020. Kenin was among the best players in tennis when she captured her first Grand Slam title in the Australian Open. Kenin took the silvery chalice in style, beating Coco Gauff and then-world No. 1 Ash Barty en route to the title.
The good times kept on rolling. She nearly pulled off a double at Roland Garros. Kenin fell just short of a second major trophy, however, as she dropped her French Open championship match to Iga Swiatek.
Life was good for Kenin, who earned WTA Player of the Year honors that season.
MORE: How many times has Andy Murray won Wimbledon?
Then, things fell apart. The 2021 season was one of dread for the then-No. 4 player in the world. On the injury front, she was sidelined with appendicitis. There was also off-the-court upheaval for the American, who sacked, and then rehired, her father as her coach.
It set the stage for a horrid 2022. Kenin was overcome with a spate of injuries, the most severe being an ankle malady that kept her out five months. She fell out of the top 300 as a result.
How old is Sofia Kenin?
Despite going through numerous peaks and valleys in her career, Kenin is just 24 years old. That's younger than top-10 players Elena Rybakina, Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari and Daria Kasatkina.
Sofia Kenin ranking
After a series of strong showings to start her WTA campaign in 2023, Kenin broke into the top 200 ahead of Wimbledon. She's at No. 128, 124 spots lower than her career-best ranking.
Where is Sofia Kenin from?
Despite representing the United States in international play, Kenin was born in Moscow. Her parents, who defected from the Soviet Union in 1987, returned there for Kenin's birth, citing their desire to raise her around family members.
The household eventually made a permanent return to the U.S., setting up shop in Florida. Kenin took the court with famed instructor Rick Macci as a tot.