Sofia Kenin's win over Aryna Sabalenka is going to mean "a lot to her mind", says former Roger Federer coach

Former coach of Roger Federer, Paul Annacone, feels that Sofia Kenin's stunning win over World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka will help her restore some much needed confidence going ahead.

After defeating Cristina Bucsa in the first round, Kenin faced off against Sabalenka on May 11th, in a match that saw a tight first set that went into a tie-breaker. However, Kenin cruised ahead in the second set with a break for 4-2, ultimately winning the match 7-6(4), 6-2.

This win over Sabalenka marks Kenin's first victory over a top-10 opponent since her win against Ashleigh Barty in the 2020 Australian Open semifinals.

Reflecting on Kenin's monumental win, Annacone stated on the Tennis Channel that the American will now start to believe more in herself, something that is going to mean "a lot in her mind."

"She [Kenin] did a great job to get through a match like this," he said. "All I see in the upside for Sofia Kenin. She is gonna believe more and more. She knows what it takes to win and now she's got the tangible proof she did it today. So, that's gonna mean a lot in her mind."

Annacone also opined that Aryna Sabalenka will quickly bounce back from the upset before the French Open, given how "amazing" she has been all year.

"Sabalenka talked about afterwards the fatigue and stuff. It's the first time Sabalenka hasn't got to the quarters or better all year. I mean, she's had an amazing year. So, I see no impact at all on what she can do at Roland Garros ," Annacone added.

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"I had to bring my A-game inorder to win" - Sofia Kenin on defeating Aryna Sabalenka

Sofia Kenin (L) and Aryna Sabalenka at the 2023 Internazionali BNL D'Italia

Sofia Kenin acknowledged that she had to bring out the best version of herself inorder to prevail over Aryna Sabalenka in her second round Italian Open encounter.

During her on-court interview, Kenin expressed delight at having played "really well," adding that she felt hardly any pressure entering the match as an "underdog."

"Obviously super happy, I played really well," Kenin said. "Of course she’s had some great results, great year, so of course going into the match there’s not much pressure on my side. I tried to use that to my advantage, and of course I felt like an underdog coming in."

"I tried to take it to her, do my best. I had to bring my A-game in order to win," she added.

Sofia Kenin will next face Anhelina Kalinina in the third round on Saturday (May 12).