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One bold prediction for the 2021 ATP and WTA seasons

By Brandon Daniels

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 21: Daniil Medvedev of Russia hits a backhand against Rafael Nadal of Spain on Day 7 of the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 Arena on November 21, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by TPN/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 21: Daniil Medvedev of Russia hits a backhand against Rafael Nadal of Spain on Day 7 of the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 Arena on November 21, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by TPN/Getty Images) /
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Sofia Kenin of the US celebrates after winning against Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova at the end of their women’s singles semi-final tennis match on Day 12 of The Roland Garros 2020 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on October 8, 2020. (Photo by MARTIN BUREAU / AFP) (Photo by MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images)
Sofia Kenin of the US celebrates after winning against Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova at the end of their women’s singles semi-final tennis match on Day 12 of The Roland Garros 2020 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on October 8, 2020. (Photo by MARTIN BUREAU / AFP) (Photo by MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images) /

WTA: Sofia Kenin will surge to the top of the WTA rankings

Bold, I know. Considering the fact that she’s currently a shade under 3,000 ranking points behind Ashleigh Barty for World No. 1, this is likely a longshot. However, it’s a longshot worth taking. Kenin has been subject to some major inconsistencies throughout her career, yes, but she’s shown up when it counts. In the three Grand Slams that took place last year, here’s how she finished:

Australian Open: Won

US Open: Round of 16

French Open: Finalist

She’s been there when the lights are at their brightest. With the momentum, she finished on in Paris coming into this year, she’ll be stiff competition for anyone who stands opposite her on the court. Her “never-give-up” mentality is what has made her one of the tour’s brightest young stars in a sky full of them. No player (per The Guardian) won more three-set matches in 2020 and only one woman bested her mark of nine tiebreak victories.

What stands out the most about Kenin is her relentlessness. She will bully you with her raw power and will run you from sideline to sideline until one of her perfectly-placed groundstrokes finds its way past. On the other side, Kenin will get every ball back until she finally gets her shot to flip the script (displayed beautifully in her win over Garbine Muguruza for the Australian Open title).

Naomi Osaka just won her third Grand Slam in 2020. Teen star Iga Swiatek bulldozed the Paris field, including Kenin, to claim one of her won. Bianca Andreescu can’t be forgotten either, but the reigning WTA Player of the Year is something special. As the world’s top-ranked American female, she has some huge shoes to fill after years of Serena Williams’s dominance. It feels, though, that she’s here for the long run and has a chance of becoming the WTA’s first American-World No. 1 since Williams herself.

Next. Year in Review: Why the 2020 season was the worst (and best) year in recent history. dark

The 2021 WTA season begins in Abu Dhabi for a WTA 500 event (the inaugural year of women’s tennis adopting the much simpler 250/500/1000 tournament titles) before meeting up with the ATP for the AO Qualifying on the 10th.

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