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3, Serena Williams. 13 and was named WTA Comeback Player of the Year. Congratulations to all of these ladies! [84], Stephens returned from injury to start the season at the Auckland Open and the Hobart International, but lost in the second round at both tournaments. Emma Hruby Jan 18, 2022. [15], Roger Smith began coaching Stephens in early 2009 and worked with her for several years. 802, she finished the 2010 season just inside the top 200 at No. 38. She dismissed concerns about her form from the media, saying, "Everything's good. Sloane Stephens, Jozy Altidore married on New Year's Day. [129] Stephens finished the season ranked No. [257] Stephens excels in point construction, and varies patterns of hitting in order to confuse opponents. After losing to an up-and-coming Caroline Garcia and picking up a win against Virginie Razzano, Stephens and her partner Madison Keys lost to the two of them in the final doubles match to relegate the United States into World Group II the following year. [140] Nonetheless, she moved up to No. She notably defeated world No. [197], Stephens started her 2022 season at the Australian Open. Keys has said, "Sloane and I, since we were 12 and 14, have constantly been compared to each other. [56] This string of performances brought her into the top 50 of the WTA rankings for the first time. After two lopsided split sets, Stephens won a tight third set to reach her first Grand Slam singles final. Stephens ended the year with a 411 record and ranked 39. At the Bad Homburg Open, her first grass-court tournament of the season, Stephens was beaten in the first round by British qualifier Katie Swan. Sloane took Franciscos advice at 11 and proceeded to Boca Raton to train. [89][90], Despite these good results, Stephens got off to a slow start in the clay-court season. View. Stephens's biggest rivalry is with her close friend and compatriot Madison Keys. [41] Although she seldom played on the pro tour that year, Stephens decided to turn pro in October following a strong junior season. We aims to be available wherever and whenever you need it. [288][289], Her favorite player growing up was Kim Clijsters, who congratulated Stephens in person after her 2017 US Open title. [20], Stephens began 2009 by winning her first two tournaments of the year, the Grade 1 USTA International Spring Championships and the Grade A Italian Open. Top-Seed Aryna Sabalenka Battles Past Sloane Stephens at National Bank Open 2021 Round 2", "Halep claims first win since May in Cincinnati, Azarenka and Bencic triumph", "Sloane Stephens escapes with win over Madison Keys in Round 1", "Kerber beats Stephens in battle of former US Open champions", "Azarenka cruises in Chicago debut; Zidansek rolls past Stephens", "US Open champ Raducanu upset at Indian Wells; Murray wins", "Slovakia upset the U.S. at Billie Jean King Cup", "U.S. beats Spain to set up Billie Jean King Cup semifinal against Russia", "COLLINS AND STEPHENS BLAST RUTHLESS USA INTO BILLIE JEAN KING CUP SEMI-FINALS", "SAMSONOVA DOUBLES DOWN TO LEAD RTF TO BILLIE JEAN KING CUP FINAL", "Russians and Switzerland set up clash in Billie Jean King Cup final", "Emma Raducanu Rediscovers Winning Ways Against Sloane Stephens", "Stephens overcomes Bouzkova in Guadalajara, wins first title since 2018", "Sloane Stephens pulls out late from Monterrey", "BNP Paribas Open: Naomi Osaka rallies past Sloane Stephens in gusty first-round matchup", "Gauff and Rogers win, more seeded women fall at Miami Open", "Zheng Qinwen beats former champ Stephens in Charleston", "Djokovic downs Karatsev to enter Italian Open third round", "WTA roundup: Sloane Stephens bounced in France", "French Open: Sloane Stephens, Daria Saville score upsets in 2R", "Gauff, Stephens to play in all-American French Open QF; Pegula to face No. She lost to the eventual champion Marion Bartoli. Sloane Stephens has reconnected with coach Kamau Murray days ahead of this year's U.S. Open, which Stephens won in 2017 while working with Murray. The American player, who competed in both the U.S. Open and the. She spent four years with Saviano before moving on and later reconciled with him in 2015.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'thetennistime_com-box-4','ezslot_5',153,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thetennistime_com-box-4-0'); Saviano was a former professional tennis player and popular coach known for his long-term relationship with the former worlds number 5, Eugenie Bouchard. 28, finishing the season at No. [16][295][296], In late 2017, Stephens graduated from Indiana University East with a bachelor's degree in communications studies. Veteran Spaniard Francis Roig is set to be the new coach of former US Open champion Sloane Stephens. 109, Melinda Czink, while still only 15 years old, but was unable to advance to the main draw in any of these appearances. [148] In her final match of the season, Stephens was able to win the first set against Elina Svitolina, but ultimately lost the match. [92] Serena then defeated her in the fourth round, which turned out to be Stephens's best Grand Slam tournament result of the year. [162] After Monterrey, the WTA tour was suspended from the rest of March through July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[163][164]. 1 Iga witek. Stephens started her clay-court season at the Charleston Open. [206] At the French Open, she upset 26th seed, Sorana Crstea, in the second round. 9 Seed Karolina Pliskova in Straight Sets in 2R of French Open 2021", "Krejcikova routs Stephens to reach first Slam quarterfinal at French Open", "American Sloane Stephens upsets two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova on Centre Court", "American Sloane Stephens bounced in third round at Wimbledon by wild card Liudmila Samsonova", "Collins Conquers Stephens to Stretch Winning Streak to Seven", "INCREDIBLE! [210] At Wimbledon, she lost in the first round to Zheng Qinwen. She defeated Lucie Hradeck in her first career main-draw match before losing to the defending champion, 12th-seeded Vera Zvonareva. Tennis Interviews Sloane Stephens against Serena Williams? 11, 2017: Comeback, US Open title, year-end struggles, 2018: French Open finalist, WTA Finals runner-up, world No. Her stepfather was a competitive recreational tennis player and was her primary inspiration for beginning to play the sport. "Happy to have Francis Roig join my team as my new coach! She defeated No. Uli Seit for The New York Times "Every player that I have coached will affirm that I am a very clear. The Coach and The Star Social Highlights UTS Testing Equipment The Eye of the Coach Legendary Racquets . She was also awarded WTA Comeback Player of the Year for her successful season. Nainkin had also been working with fellow American Sam Querrey that year. [18], At the French Open, Stephens extended her main-draw win streak to 16 matches in a row to start the season, despite needing to qualify for the main draw, before losing to French junior Kristina Mladenovic in the semifinals. 128 in the world. [15], After her stepfather's death, Stephens and her family moved back to their hometown of Fresno where her grandparents and other members of her mother's family still lived. Kamau Murray. [278], After her US Open victory, Stephens accrued several new sponsors, including Mercedes-Benz. [208] She was defeated in the quarterfinals by 18th seed, world No. ", "US Open American teen Stephens upsets 23rd seed Peer", "Sloane Stephens, Vania King win at 2011 U.S. Open Thursday, lead resurgence of United States players", "Australian Open Sloane Stephens reaches second round", "Miami, Vinci promossa A casa gli altri azzurri", "Schiavone & Cornet's Strasbourg Revivals", "Stephens can't write fairy-tale ending at French", "2012 Wimbledon: Sloane Stephens Advances, Samantha Stosur Out", "Western & Southern Open Awards Wild Cards To James Blake, Sloane Stephens And Camila Giorgi", "What's in a name? ", "A rematch we've been waiting on: Madison Keys vs. Sloane Stephens", "American pals Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys both reach first French Open QF", "Madison Keys vs Sloane Stephens Head-to-Head", "Win or lose, Sloane Stephens is back and better than ever", "U.S. Open: Venus Williams vs. Sloane Stephens is a look into past and future", "The US Open showed black women have made American tennis great again", "Once friends, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens redefine relationship", "Sloane Stephens says she was caught off guard by Serena Williams controversy", "Serena Williams vs. Sloane Stephens Head to Head", "2018 US Open Media Day: Stephens downplays Halep 'rivalry', Wozniacki '100%', "Evert - 'I like the contrast in personalities and styles' in Halep, Stephens rivalry", "French Open final recap: Simona Halep BEATS Sloane Stephens to win Roland Garros title", "Australian Open: Serena Williams hurts ankle in easy win, while Roger Federer and Andy Murray win in straight sets", "Simona Halep beats Sloane Stephens for first Grand Slam title", "Top 5 WTA 2018 Matches (No.1): Halep bests Stephens in marathon Montreal final", "Sloane Stephens: "I am happy that I was the last person to win at Key Biscayne", "Comment: Simona Halep's Tenacity Too Much For Stephens' 'Easy Power', "Stephens' win vs. Kasatkina was another casually masterful performance", "How Sloane Stephens' Subtle Athleticism Brought Her Another Big Title", "Rule the Court Like Tennis Star Sloane Stephens", "Sloane Stephens Biography And Detailed Game Analysis", "Sloane Stephens shows you don't have to be aggressive to win a major", "Measuring WTA Tactics With Aggression Score", "Nonchalant reaction to Wimbledon loss a blessing and curse for Sloane Stephens", "Chris Evert Says Sloane Stephens Lacks Hunger", "Chris Evert On Sloane Stephens: 'I Question Whether She Has A Burning Desire', "Sloane Stephens makes late father, stepfather, U.S. tennis proud in U.S. Open girls juniors", "Stephens trying to take control of path ahead", "Sloane Stephens hires Paul Annacone as her coach", "Report: Sloane Stephens working with coach Thomas Hogstedt", "Nick Saviano To Coach Sloane Stephens; Will Start In Hobart", "Sloane Stephens and Nick Saviano Have Parted Ways", "Sloane Stephens, Kamau Murray suspend coaching partnership", "Stephens reunites with coach Murray ahead of US Open", "Sloane Stephens: Finding her Game, Finding her Zen in Charleston - Tennis Now", "AMIDST UNTOLD LOSS, STEPHENS REDISCOVERING INNER FIRE", "Tennis star Sloane Stephens swaps Under Armour for Nike", "Tennis champion Sloane Stephens, long with Under Armour, signs with Nike", "Which tennis racquets do the WTA pros use? [45], She had foot surgery in January and could not walk again without a boot until the middle of April. [135] Stephens entered the French Open having never reached the quarterfinals. [268] While working with Saviano, Stephens won her first WTA title, but did not manage to ascend back up the WTA rankings. This score is average compared to other women's tennis players, and rates similarly to fellow Grand Slam tournament winners Justine Henin and Victoria Azarenka. A year after her breakthrough, she reached the fourth round and was again defeated by world No. August 2, 2022 2 Mins Read Stephens was born on March 20, 1993, to accomplished athletes Sybil Smith and John Stephens in Plantation, Florida. "I've known him for a really long time. [40], In the middle of 2009, Stephens participated in World TeamTennis as a member of the New York Buzz. Another opportunity for the both of us. Kamau is arguably the most successful coach of Sloane so far since he led her to her highest career ranking and five out of the seven career titles she has won. [285] Moreover, Stephens has worked with Time Warner Cable as part of their Connect a Million Minds campaign to motivate the importance of education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Input your search keywords and press Enter. From there, she continued her training in Boca Raton, where she trained at Evert Tennis Academy before she made her way to Nick Saviano High-Performance Tennis Academy at 12. Her game is commonly referred to as possessing "easy power" due to the seemingly casual nature in which she injects pace into her shots. [114][115][45], Stephens entered the US Open at No. 2, Victoria Azarenka, for the second consecutive year. [123][124] She also became the lowest-ranked US Open champion ever, and the fifth-lowest at any Grand Slam tournament. Her successful year was cut short by a foot injury that kept her out for months. [67] With Serena entering the match in excellent form and also having defeated her much younger opponent earlier that month, Stephens was listed as high as a 16-to-1 underdog. ", "Stephens Falls to Fellow American Davis in Auckland", "Heather Watson upsets Sloane Stephens 63, 61 at Hobart International", "Australian Open 2015: Sloane Stephens stalls as Victoria Azarenka looks her challenge in the eyes", "Sloane Stephens tops Madison Keys at Miami Open in 'next-generation' match", "Simona Halep gets past Sloane Stephens to reach Miami Open semi-finals", "French Open: Sloane Stephens defeats Venus Williams as it happened", "Serena Williams beats Sloane Stephens to reach French Open last eight", "WTA Eastbourne: Sloane Stephens En Huitime De Finale", "CoCo Vandeweghe overpowering at Wimbledon, pushes into round of 16", "Sloane Stephens wins Citi Open for first WTA title", "CoCo Vandeweghe grants on-court interview during changeover", "Simona Halep will try to break through vs. Sloane Stephens, who knows the feeling", "Sloane Stephens beats Julia Goerges in ASB Classic final", "Kerber Retires With Illness In Charleston, But Take Nothing Away From Stephens", "Stephens wins Third Tournament of 2016 in Charleston", "For at least one post-match embrace Sunday at Wimbledon, 'quality was good', "Sloane Stephens exits, again, in Australian Open 1st round", "Bouchard beats Stephens in Olympic debut at Rio 2016", "Coping With Injury: Inside the Mind of Pro Tennis Player Sloane Stephens", "How Sloane Stephens's Tennis Channel Gig Helped her During Injury Recovery", "After long layoff, Sloane Stephens sees some positives in Wimbledon loss", "No. [7], Smith left Stephens's father after his multiple arrests in 1994. [165] At the Cincinnati Open, she was defeated in the first round by Caroline Garcia. He recruited me as a junior for Adidas. 270 ZARAZUA SHOCKS STEPHENS IN ACAPULCO", "Stephens survives Navarro charge in Monterrey", "WTA Tour: Fifth seed Sloane Stephens shocked by teenager sensation Leylah Fernandez in Monterrey", "WTA and ATP announce further suspension of tennis through June 7", "ATP AND WTA EXTEND TOUR SUSPENSIONS INTO JULY DUE TO CORONAVIRUS", "Canada's Leylah Annie Fernandez upsets Sloane Stephens at Top Seed Open", "Western and Southern Open: Caroline Garcia beats Sloane Stephens, Vondrousova upset", "Serena Williams fights back, routs former champ Sloane Stephens", "Hibino handles Stephens in Strasbourg opener", "Badosa beats Stephens for Roland Garros breakthrough", "Canada's Leylah Annie Fernandez beats Sloane Stephens at Grampians Trophy", "Barty whitewash, Putintseva comeback lead to Australian Open wins", "Doi, Gracheva kick off Phillip Island Trophy with Garcia, Stephens upsets", "Stephens slumps to 0-4 in 2021 after Monterrey Open exit", "Sloane Stephens Breaks 2021 Duck At Miami Open, Svetlana Kuznetsova Loses In First Round", "BIANCA ANDREESCU TRIUMPHS IN MIAMI, AMANDA ANISIMOVA AWAITS", "WTA Charleston: Sloane Stephens upsets Madison Keys", "Spain's Badosa ousts world No. [290] She was also a fan of the Williams sisters and kept a poster of Serena in her bedroom as a kid. Thomas was able to win only a Singles career title before retiring from playing tennis.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thetennistime_com-banner-1','ezslot_10',154,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thetennistime_com-banner-1-0'); After leaving Thomas, Sloane returned to her former coach, Nick Saviano. Stephens moved to Florida to train at a tennis academy, ultimately working with Nick Saviano. [184] She was defeated in the third round by Liudmila Samsonova in three sets. When she won the 2017 US Open, she recalled an instance at age 11 when her mother believed Stephens had high upside in spite of being told by an instructor at a junior tennis academy that she would be lucky to get a tennis scholarship to a Division II college. 336. 92 to reach the fourth round. [211], Stephens started her US Open series at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. She lost in the first round to Ajla Tomljanovi. Sloane Stephens's Coach Recommits to Craft After Health Scare. Born to athletic parents with backgrounds in collegiate swimming and professional American football, Stephens was introduced to tennis at the club across the street from her house in Fresno, California. She lost in the first round to Leylah Fernandez. Sloane Stephens It's fair to say the 2017 US Open champion has endured a turbulent start to the season. Sloane Stephens graduated from Indiana University East Class of 2017( Source : instagram) Further, Roger Smith started to coach her in early 2009, and she became a top-ranked junior with three Grand Slam tournament doubles titles. She then backed up that win by beating 23rd seed Shahar Pe'er. By the end of the year, she fell to No. Without a permanent coach this year the world No.7 posted a 6-6 match record on Tour until appointing Sven Groeneveld ahead of her clay-court campaign. After Stephens's victory against her at the tournament, Serena commented, "I made you," in a tweet believed to be directed at Stephens and did not speak to her younger compatriot until at least May. [104], In contrast to previous years where Stephens struggled at smaller tournaments while still doing well at bigger tournaments, she struggled at the Grand Slam tournaments and high-level Premier events in 2016. The two have reuinted this year. 20, Julia Grges, en route to her first WTA quarterfinal. In her first tournament back, she made it to the quarterfinals at the Brisbane International to set up an encounter with world No. [204] In Rome, she was eliminated in the first round by Ekaterina Alexandrova. [175] She was beaten in her second-round match by 28th seed and compatriot, Amanda Anisimova. [68] Despite these struggles, Stephens produced another good Grand Slam tournament result at the French Open, where she defeated three unseeded opponents none ranked higher than No. [161] She fell in the second round to Leylah Fernandez. However, she was able to produce her best result at the tournament, making it to the final. 83 in the world, and still needed to use a protected ranking to be accepted into the main draw due to the entry deadline being over a month before the event. [45], Stephens continued to climb the WTA rankings during the 2011 clay-court season. 1, Simona Halep, her first loss in a WTA singles final. [213] At the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, she lost in the second round to world No. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Gracheva won 7-6 (4), 6-3 in an hour and 51 minutes against . [91] Having struggled at the last three Grand Slam events, Stephens managed to upset world No. [136][137] Despite going up a set and a break, Stephens lost the final to world No. No explanation was offered for the suspension of the successful coaching partnership. [251][252][253] She sometimes flattens out her shots, even on the run, and goes for stinging winners. She started training at the Evert Tennis Academy, owned by John Evert and run by his sister, Chris Evert. Stephens, ranked No. Stephens had entered the month having never reached a semifinal at a high-level Premier tournament. 198. 6 Caroline Wozniacki in Canada, and No. [284] She was also a brand ambassador for USANA, a nutrition company. [138] Nonetheless, this run catapulted her to a career-high ranking of No. When the WTA Tour resumed tournament play in August, Stephens competed at the first edition of the Top Seed Open. [87] Her first two successful tournaments of the year came at the Premier Mandatory events in March. 30 in the world. (Courtesy of Othmane Garma) Comment on this story She is now ranked 20th heading into Wimbledon, which begins . [16] From then on, she split time living in both California and Florida. With these results, Stephens climbed back into the top 100 of the WTA rankings. [33] In the spring of 2008, she received a qualifying wildcard into her first WTA Tour event, the Miami Open, where she lost her opening round match. [118] Her semifinal was against No. 11 in the world,. [145][146][147] After a dismal start in the semifinals where she lost the first eight games of the match against Karolna Plkov, she recovered and won the match in three sets. Emma Raducanu defeats Sloane Stephens in early Australian Open test. Kamau Murray (left) coaches Sloane Stephens but that's not his only job. She achieved this ranking on the 16th of July, 2018. Tennis News. [254], Stephens has an uncharacteristic style of play compared to her fellow top-ranked American contemporaries. Even though they only met a few times in person, the two of them developed a close relationship remotely. Two days later, the 26-year-old tweeted that she and Murray have reunited. [74] Two weeks later, Stephens entered the US Open as the 15th seed, where she faced Williams again in the fourth round. [37][38][39] During the summer of 2008, Stephens won her first professional title in doubles at a low-level $10K event in Wichita alongside partner Christina McHale. [178] In Madrid, she was defeated in the second round by Ons Jabeur. [45] Two of her biggest improvements came at two Grand Slam events. 3 after Wimbledon in 2018. On the WTA results with. Sloane has spent time with quite a couple of coaches and top ex-players during the course of developing into a professional player. Francisco was an ex-Paraguay tennis player who retired in 1990 after claiming 10 Doubles and no Singles. After the US Open, Stephens competed at the Italian Open. However, unlike the previous year, Stephens was able to win two matches on the continent at the China Open. Just relax, everybody. [201] In Miami, she lost in the second round to 16th seed and world No. [79], Stephens returned to the United States Fed Cup team in April for their home playoff tie against France. 200711: Tour debut, entering the top 100, 2013: Major semifinal, Serena upset, world No. 45 while rising no higher than No. Sloane Stephens has added a new coach along with a new fiance this weekthe 25-year-old announced that Sven Groeneveld has joined her team.