"Scariest little creature I ever taught" - Serena Williams' childhood coach Rick Macci pegs Sofia Kenin to enter top 10 in 2024

Serena Williams' former coach Rick Macci recently showered rich praise on Sofia Kenin, who he coached from the age of five to 12.

Rick Macci is a United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) certified coach and has worked with several legends of the sport, like the Williams sisters, Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova. The American also took Sofia Kenin under his wing during her early years.

Kenin went on to become one of the top players on the WTA Tour at the turn of the 2020s. The American won her maiden Major title at the 2020 Australian Open and reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world.

Her steep upward trajectory, however, was subsequently affected by injuries and motivational issues. Sofia Kenin fell outside the top 200 of the women's singles rankings in 2022.

That said, she has worked tirelessly this year to propel her ranking back up to 33. Against that background, Rick Macci took to his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday (December 18) to show support to his former ward as she prepares for a potential comeback to the top echelons of the tour in 2024.

The 69-year-old praised a few aspects of Kenin's game, like her court sense and mental strength. He also called her the "scariest little creature" he had ever coached, before predicting that the 2020 Australian Open winner would be back in the top 10 of the WTA rankings next year.

"She was the Scariest Little Creature I Ever taught. She understood the geometry of the court. The Pembrook Pines Peanut was Locked Loaded and ready to Launch. She had a BRAIN HEART and COURAGE and was the WIZARD OF IT. 2024 she will be entering the Top Ten door @SofiaKenin," Macci wrote on his X account.

Sofia Kenin has made a slow yet steady climb up the WTA rankings in 2023

Sofia Kenin celebrates after beating Coco Gauff at Wimbledon

Sofia Kenin began her 2023 WTA Tour season well outside the top 200 of the rankings. But a slew of consistent runs at top-tier events in the first half of the year soon brought her ranking to 128th in the world.

The former World No. 4 then had a good campaign at Wimbledon in July. She won three matches to make it into the main draw of women's singles action at SW19, before springing an upset over World No. 7 Coco Gauff in their first-round clash.

Kenin lost to eventual semifinalist Elina Svitolina in straight sets in the third round, but her run brought her ranking to the cusp of the top 100. She caught fire after her third-round run at Wimbledon, winning nine of her 14 matches en route to runner-up and semifinalist finishes at the 500-level events in San Diego and Guadalajara, respectively. The American is currently ranked World No. 33.