“It was a big toll on everybody, especially on me,” Sofia Kenin on her experience of playing without crowds amidst the global pandemic
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Sofia Kenin, defending champion at the Australian Open is set to start her title defence at the Melbourne Park from February 8. In some good news for all tennis players, Australian Open 2021 will feature upto 30,000 fans everyday. The sight of the joyous and smiling tennis fans was cherished by every single tennis fan and player including the likes of Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick.
In an interview to CNN, Sofia Kenin revealed that she was aware of how much a fully-packed stadium can motivate the players to perform better. She stated that the importance of fans was reinforced when players were forced to play in front of empty stands during the pandemic.
The American added that she belonged to a breed of players who were motivated by a noisy crowd. “Everyone wanted to reconnect with them (fans) and somehow get life back to normal,” Kenin said.
Sofia Kenin to defend her title at the Australian Open 2021
Sofia Kenin won her first Grandslam title last year as she defeated Spaniard, Garbine Muguruza in the finals of the Australian Open 2020. She is all set to defend her title this year against the likes of Simona Halep, Ashleigh Barty, Serena Williams.
Sofia Kenin revealed her struggles of playing in front of an empty stadium, which has been tough for every player, especially on her. “The whole year without any fans, it was a big toll I’m sure on everybody, especially on me,” she said.
The American accepted the fact that even playing in front of a limited-capacity stadium was the best possible scenario for players at the moment given the raging pandemic. Kenin was optimistic that the stands filled with fans at the Australian Open will have “some great energy coming from the fans.”
Also Read: “Novak Djokovic is a great athlete, great player, great person,” says Sofia Kenin
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Nirmit Mehta
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