Sofia Kenin on comeback trail at Wimbledon trying ‘to prove some people wrong’

By KEN MAGUIRE
AP Sports Writer

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Sofia Kenin reached the third round at Wimbledon for the first time. Or as the 2020 Australian Open champion put it: “Just trying to prove some people wrong.” Kenin beat Wang Xinyu of China 6-4, 6-3 to back up her surprise victory over seventh-seeded Coco Gauff that ended a streak of three straight first-round exits at Grand Slam tournaments. The 24-year-old American came into Wimbledon ranked 128th and had to go through qualifying to reach the main draw. She’s fine with that. She says it helped her build confidence. The Russian-born Kenin next faces Elina Svitolina, a Ukrainian who is back on tour after the birth of her first child in October.