US Open WTA Match of the Day: Sofia Kenin vs. Elise Mertens

Sofia Kenin has flown to the fourth round at the US Open exactly how she wants to, completely under the radar.

Kenin is a player driven by a singular focus—winning tennis matches— and she makes no bones about her lofty goals.

“I really want to become No. 1 in the world,” Kenin said in March 2019, while ranked No. 33. “I’ve worked so hard to get where I am. The next goal is to win a Grand Slam.”

After accomplishing her primary goal at this years’ Australian Open, the next logical step for Kenin is to capture the No. 1 ranking. While she won’t accomplish that goal just yet— she sits over 4,000 points behind current No. 1 Ash Barty— she could almost assure the top spot with a title this week, barring an injury-free year.

To inch closer to her long-term goal, she’ll need to defeat one of the WTA’s hottest players in Elise Mertens. The Belgian reached the final in both Prague and Cincinnati (NYC), and has yet to drop a set in her first three rounds at Flushing Meadows. The two played twice in 2019, the most recent encounter a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory for Kenin in the Wuhan final, one of the best matches of the year.

If you have a weakness, Kenin will surely find and expose it. But what makes this matchup so fascinating is that Mertens has no real weakness to speak of. She’s evolved into one of the world’s steadiest players, which neutralizes Kenin’s natural counterpunching ability. Expect to see a lot of rallies like this on Monday.

The oddsmakers list Kenin as a slight favorite, but Mertens owns the current UTR advantage given her recent form. This match could go either way, but Kenin has a goal to accomplish, and I don’t see Mertens standing in the way.

The Pick: Sofia Kenin