It wasn't so long ago that Sofia Kenin's father was driving New York taxis and spoke English so poorly that he didn't know where he was supposed to be going. These days Alex Kenin, despite starting with close to zero tennis knowledge, is coaching a Grand Slam champion.
Russian-born Alex, an unassuming, grey-haired man with a receding hairline, introduced Sofia to tennis, brought her up around the game and pushed her to achieve the extraordinary -- crowned by her victory at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Sofia said her "crazy smart" father had no prior experience of the game, but simply picked it up by observing those around him.
"He's seen how all the other coaches have been coaching their players, but he knows everything," Sofia said, after stunning Garbine Muguruza in her first Grand Slam final.
"He knows what he's talking about, he really knows it and he comes up with the right plans, the right strategies."
"Even though I don't like to admit it sometimes, to tell him he's right. Yeah, he really works hard. Just thank you to him. We can share this forever."
- 'People overlooked me' - ==========================
"But it's amazing the things you do to survive. (Sofia) knows about that and I think it made her tough."
"We didn't have the best things said about me but my dad's been there and he believed in me, didn't listen to that. He could have easily said, okay, and I could have done something (else)."