Sofia Kenin breaks down in press conference after shock loss

Defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin couldn’t handle the pressure and was overcome with emotion after her shock loss.

Reigning champion Sofia Kenin has been knocked out of the Australian Open in a huge upset at Melbourne Park on Thursday afternoon.

The American suffered a straight sets 6-3 6-2 defeat to unseeded Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi in her second round match at Margaret Court Arena.

The 35-year-old Kanepi was almost flawless in the first set, showing her experience in the Melbourne heat.

Kenin’s confidence quickly deteriorated as the match progressed, her serve almost ineffective towards the end of the second set.

The No. 4-seeded Kenin committed 22 unforced errors on Thursday while only hitting 10 winners. She becomes the highest-ranked player to be knocked out of the grand slam to date.

Kenin’s defeat is also the earliest exit for a women’s defending champion in the Australian Open since America’s Jennifer Capriati lost in the opening round in 2003.

Kenin was in tears during her post-match press conference, breaking down as she talked about the pressure she was under.

“I feel like everyone was always asking me, ‘Do you see yourslef getting there and winning again’,” she said.

“Obviously I said yes but the way I’m playing ... no.

“I know I couldn’t really handle the pressure.

“I’m not obviously used to this, so I’ve just got to figure out how to play at that level that I played at. Because like today and those matches it just hasn’t been there.”

Sofia Kenin of the United States.

Kanepi mustered 10 aces in the one-sided encounter, while Kenin couldn’t manage one in the entire match.

“I served really well today … my game plan was to play aggressive as I normally do,” Kanepi said after the win.

New York Times reporter Ben Rothenberg tweeted: “Kanepi is a proven giant-killer, but Kenin really lacked belief or fire out there.”

Kenin claimed her maiden grand slam title at last year’s Australian Open, defeating world No. 1 Ash Barty in the semi-final and Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in the final.

Kanepi will come up against Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the third round on Saturday.

Wow Kenin out, Kanepi has had a great couple weeks... that part of the bracket wide open #AusOpen

— Spose (@spizzyspose) February 11, 2021

Defending champion Sofia Kenin loses in straight sets to Kaia Kanepi in the second round. Guessing that's not how she wanted her return trip to Melbourne to go

— D'Arcy Maine (@darcymaine_espn) February 11, 2021

Kenin’s return to the scene of her breakthrough major title has proved tough after she lost to Muguruza at last week’s Yarra Valley Classic.

She later declared she was troubled by a left groin injury, which she said might have been attributed to the mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine on arrival in Australia.

Moscow-born Kenin has cut an emotional figure and also admitted to playing in tears throughout her first-round clash with Australian Maddison Inglis.