"I’m superstitious so I was like, I got to cry" - When Sofia Kenin admitted strange pre-match ritual that helped her calm her nerves

Sofia Kenin took the world by storm in 2020, winning the Australian Open. Seeded No. 14 at the time, she defeated Garbine Muguruza in the final to win her maiden Grand Slam title, becoming the youngest to win the tournament since Maria Sharapova in 2008.

As it turns out, Kenin got herself into a rather strange pre-match ritual during the tournament -- crying her eyes out. Admitting what she did in an interview a year later, the American revealed that it helped her calm her nerves a little.

Speaking to the New York Times, Kenin recalled how she would wipe her tears before warmin up on court, a ritual that helped her focus her mind and get into her rhythm slowly.

"I don’t know. I try to handle it. I can’t go on the court crying because then it’s a big advantage for my opponent, so I have to wipe my tears, have a good warm-up, feel the ball and then start grooving in the game. That’s when I forget I was crying and just focus on the points," Sofia Kenin said.

While Kenin conceded that she did not start doing it on purpose, she made it clear that she continued doing it out of superstition before every match during her run in Melbourne.

"I did in Australia last year. I wasn’t doing it on purpose, it was just happening. And then, I’m superstitious so I was like, I got to cry. I’m not a good actress," she said.

Kenin further reflected on how COVID-19 impacted the world of tennis.

"I wasn't in a depression, but I was really down" - Sofia Kenin on COVID-19 stalling tennis tour

Credit One Charleston Open - Day 5 - Source: Getty

Days after Sofia Kenin's Australian Open win, however, the tennis tours came to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Opening up in the aforementioned interview about how it affected her, Kenin admitted that it hit her pretty hard and made her feel down, as she wanted to capitalize on the momentum of her maiden Slam title and continue to surge ahead.

"It hit me hard because it was supposed to be the best thing that ever happened. Three months of practicing and everything canceled," Sofia Kenin said.

"I wasn’t in a depression, but I was really down. I didn’t want to be on the court. But when we started again, I was super excited to go out and compete, even though it was really unfortunate that there were no fans," she added.

Since then, it has been an up-and-down career for Sofia Kenin, who is currently ranked World No. 44 with five WTA singles titles to her name.