Just relax, everybody. [184] She was defeated in the third round by Liudmila Samsonova in three sets. [194] The USA won the tie over Spain 2-1 to advance to the semifinals. [140] Nonetheless, she moved up to No. Seeded seventh, she lost in the first round to qualifier Leylah Fernandez. 200711: Tour debut, entering the top 100, 2013: Major semifinal, Serena upset, world No. This tennis match is between Heather Watson and Sloane Stephens. [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. "I've known him for a really long time. She did not get to qualify for the tournament since only four players were accepted from each country, and she ranked at number 5. In her first tournament back, she made it to the quarterfinals at the Brisbane International to set up an encounter with world No. Sloane took Franciscos advice at 11 and proceeded to Boca Raton to train. [171] At the Australian Open, she was defeated in the first round by 26th seed and world No. Othmane Garma, right, and Coach Kamau Murray, have helped Sloane Stephens regain her form after a number of injuries. [195] In the semifinals tie against Russia, she lost her match to Liudmila Samsonova. [248] Their next big match, the final at the Canadian Open, was ranked as the match of the year by the WTA. [233][234][235][236] She grew up as a fan of the Williams sisters, but had lost some of her interest in them after they did not sign autographs at a Fed Cup tie that Stephens attended at age 12. Her first upset of the tournament came in the second round over No. During the time she won the US Open and made the final at Roland Garris, many made many comparisons and comparisons between Serena and. [72] The highlight of her clay-court season in the lead up to the French Open was the Fed Cup semifinals on the road against France, where she won both of her singles rubbers over Pauline Parmentier and Kristina Mladenovic to lead the United States to a 32 victory. I'd love for both of us to be able to be in the position to play each other multiple times. [162] After Monterrey, the WTA tour was suspended from the rest of March through July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[163][164]. To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended. On the contrary, Stephens has also shown the ability to use her mindset of not worrying about disappointing outcomes to bounce back from injury and poor tournaments. Murray had spent most of this season coaching Monica Puig, who was informed "at the end of last week" that Murray was moving on, she wrote in a statement toSporting News. Sloane Stephens is a top-rated American female tennis player with a lot to offer and a potential successor to the retired Serena Williams. [172] Seeded ninth at the first edition of the Phillip Island Trophy, she suffered a first round loss at the hands of Varvara Gracheva. Chris Evert was a top ex-tennis player with an incredible record of 89.97% (1309-146) in the Singles (second highest in the history of male and female tennis). [241] Her only victory against Serena came at the 2013 Australian Open when she was still relatively unknown as a 19-year-old. [218] Seeded fourth at the Hobart International, she was defeated in the first round by qualifier, compatriot, and eventual champion, Lauren Davis. Entering the Miami Open Sloane Stephens had lost eight of nine matches and hadn't won consecutive matches since the US Open in September. 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. Stephens later stated, "I kept playing when I shouldn't have,"[60] as part of an effort to try to qualify for the Olympics. Naomi Osaka rallies to beat Sloane Stephens in return to Indian Wells. 17 Anastasija Sevastova to set up the first all-American semifinals at a major since Wimbledon in 1985, and the first at the US Open since 1981. She defeated four unseeded players to make her first Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal and set up her second clash with Williams that month. [160] Seeded fifth at the Monterrey Open, she got her first victory of the year by beating compatriot, Emma Navarro, in the first round. "[243], Stephens has a 27 record against Halep. She is enshrined in the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame and recognized as the greatest swimmer in the history of the university. She won her first professional singles title at the Camparini Gioielli Cup, a $50K event in Italy. "Looking back on it now, I should have asked to. She then reached her first WTA semifinal at the Internationaux de Strasbourg. He recruited me as a junior for Adidas. [281][282][283], Stephens has previously signed a deal with the American Express credit card company and was formerly an endorser of the Listerine mouthwash product. 151, Kristna Kuov. The news was "a complete surprise" to the No. Stephens had entered the month having never reached a semifinal at a high-level Premier tournament. [52] In late April, Stephens made her Fed Cup debut in an away playoff tie against Ukraine. [46] She then made it through qualifying at the French Open to make her Grand Slam main-draw debut in singles. I am so honored to be featured among this amazing group on this year's Create & Cultivate 100 List in the Sports category! [213] At the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, she lost in the second round to world No. 13 Ana Ivanovic after struggling with a torn abdominal muscle, which was initially injured during her fourth-round loss at the French Open a few months earlier. 3 after Wimbledon in 2018. [275], Her clothing sponsor from 2010 was Under Armour and in early 2018 she signed with Nike. A year after her breakthrough, she reached the fourth round and was again defeated by world No. [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. [77] She was able to recover in time to open her season at the Australian Open. [67][76] She finished the year at world No. [191] In Indian Wells, she was beaten in the second round by 19th seed and compatriot, Jessica Pegula. 802, she finished the 2010 season just inside the top 200 at No. "[260][261][262], When Stephens was just starting to play tennis at the Sierra Sport and Racquet Club, one of her first instructors was Francisco Gonzlez, a retired professional tennis player once ranked in the top 50. We aims to be available wherever and whenever you need it. [82], Stephens did not do well at the US Open either, losing in the second round to world No. [211], Stephens started her US Open series at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. She lost in the first round to Ajla Tomljanovi. She lost in the third round to No. 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. Seeded second, she lost in the first round to qualifier and eventual finalist, Rebeka Masarova. [143][144] She then closed out the season by participating in her first WTA Finals in Singapore. 30 in the world. [271][272] She split with Murray in 2021 before the Miami Open and is working with ATP tennis player Darian King who is also her practice partner. 110 Sloane Stephens Coach Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 110 Sloane Stephens Coach Premium High Res Photos Browse 110 sloane stephens coach stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [258][259], Stephens has been perceived as having a nonchalant attitude towards losing matches and striving to meet expectations. "[224] Both players have been ranked in the top 10 by the WTA. She played two singles matches and the decisive doubles rubber. Stephens avenged her Charleston Open defeat in 2021, beating Keys in straight sets in the 2nd round. [238][239] Nonetheless, Stephens has said the two of them still had a good relationship. Stephens replaced him with Paul Annacone, who is better known for coaching two of the greatest players in tennis history in Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. Paul is popular for his time with 20 times Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer and 17 times Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras. 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. 11 towards the end of 2013, she regressed and stayed outside the top 25 to the end of 2015. [105] She also lost in the first round of the Australian Open for the second consecutive year, this time to a qualifier. 25, Jamie Hampton. [177] She ended up losing in the quarterfinals to 15th seed and eventual champion, Veronika Kudermetova. [241] In 2015, Stephens won the first set of their encounters at the Indian Wells Open and the French Open, but ultimately lost in three sets in both instances. Stephens was the 2017 US Open champion, and has won seven WTA Tour singles titles in total. [174] In Miami, she earned her first win of the season by defeating qualifier, Ocane Dodin, in the first round. Required fields are marked *. She defeated Lucie Hradeck in her first career main-draw match before losing to the defending champion, 12th-seeded Vera Zvonareva. 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. 6 Caroline Wozniacki in Canada, and No. [71] Her best win at these two majors came in the first round of Wimbledon against world No. [88][93], Stephens and Halep have built a rivalry centered around their highest profile matches in 2018. She attended several WTA events in the United States including Indian Wells, the Miami, and Charleston, where she interviewed fellow tennis players and also provided analysis. Input your search keywords and press Enter. In the opening round, she defeated Rka Luca Jani for her first Grand Slam tournament match win. [116] In the fourth round, she defeated No. 10 Dominika Cibulkov. Here's to a successful journey together, let's get to work," tweeted the 29-year-old American, who won her only Major title at Flushing Meadows in 2017. Nonetheless, she finished the year as the youngest player in the top 50 at No. She was eliminated in the first round by ninth seed Garbie Muguruza. Now, Stephens has Nadal's former coach in her corner. . [237] Her relationship with Serena became strained after their match at the 2013 Australian Open. [96] At the US Open, she was seeded at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time that year but lost in the first round to compatriot CoCo Vandeweghe. Stephens, ranked No. She lost her first two matches back, one to compatriot Alison Riske at Wimbledon, and the other to No. [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. She showed an improvement in form at the US Open. [123][124] She also became the lowest-ranked US Open champion ever, and the fifth-lowest at any Grand Slam tournament. By the end of the year, she fell to No. ", "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. She achieved a career-best ranking of world No. 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. Her stepfather was a competitive recreational tennis player and was her primary inspiration for beginning to play the sport. [176], Stephens began her clay-court season at the Charleston Open. Chicago will return to World TeamTennis this summer, with 2017 U.S. Open women's champion Sloane Stephens leading the expansion Smash. 20, Julia Grges, en route to her first WTA quarterfinal. [127] Nonetheless, the United States won the tie 32 to give Stephens her first Fed Cup crown. Keys has said, "Sloane and I, since we were 12 and 14, have constantly been compared to each other. [226][227][228][229] In spite of their rivalry, the two have looked forward to their matchups, with Stephens saying, "Every time I get to play Maddy is great. Even though they only met a few times in person, the two of them developed a close relationship remotely. 92 to reach the fourth round. Upon his recommendation, Stephens moved to Florida to train at an elite junior tennis academy. [48] Later that month, she was awarded a wildcard into her first US Open main draw. 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. "[242] International Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert has praised their rivalry, saying, "I liked [their match in the 2018 Canadian Open final] a lot, because that is a contrast in personalities and styles, in moods, in coaches. Stephens did not talk with her biological father until she was 13 years old, when he expressed interest in getting to know her after being diagnosed with degenerative bone disease. First, she qualified for the Premier-5 Italian Open and advanced to the second round. Two days later, the 26-year-old tweeted that she and Murray have reunited. Sloane Stephens started off the new year by starting a new chapter of her life, as she and American soccer star Jozy Altidore were wed on New Year's Day. The Coach and The Star Social Highlights UTS Testing Equipment The Eye of the Coach Legendary Racquets . She then backed up that win by beating 23rd seed Shahar Pe'er. [65][241] All of their matches since have been contested at high-level Premier tournaments or Grand Slam tournaments. 11, 2017: Comeback, US Open title, year-end struggles, 2018: French Open finalist, WTA Finals runner-up, world No. [297] She finished her degree while recovering from foot surgery earlier in the year. [102] During the semifinals of this tournament, she defeated No. Her mother was the first African-American woman to be named a first-team All-American swimmer in Division I history. [240], Stephens has a 16 record against Serena Williams, with three of their matches coming in 2013, other three in 2015 and one in 2020. [293][294] She had previously dated fellow American tennis player Jack Sock for over a year. 4 in the world, making her the first American woman other than the Williams sisters to be ranked in the top 5 in singles since Lindsay Davenport in 2006. 22 in the world. 11 in the world, had been coached by Sven Groeneveld since Maybut announced the end of that partnershipMonday. [51] Stephens then closed out the winter hardcourt season by qualifying for the Miami Open. [45][67][75], Stephens began 2014 at the Hopman Cup with John Isner. She credits her time away from playing tennis that was spent on her studies and her job with the Tennis Channel for improving her perspective on being a professional tennis player.[250]. Stephens' coach, Chicago native Kamau Murray, will coach . [212] This was her first loss to Tomljanovi, having led their Head to Head 6-0. She returned to play and win her next match, but ultimately lost in the third round. They have organized programs in Compton, Fresno, and Fort Lauderdale. 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. When she returned to the court, this injury continued to hinder her performance as she did not defeat another top 50 opponent until after the clay-court season. 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. She favors her forehand, and will run around her backhand at times to play her stronger groundstroke. Around this time last year, Kamau Murray was having the. [290] She was also a fan of the Williams sisters and kept a poster of Serena in her bedroom as a kid. Sloane Stephens hired Kamau Murray, left, last fall to lift her career. [19] She then finished the year with a semifinal appearance at the high-level Orange Bowl tournament, a Grade A event. [257] Stephens excels in point construction, and varies patterns of hitting in order to confuse opponents. [148] In her final match of the season, Stephens was able to win the first set against Elina Svitolina, but ultimately lost the match. [30][31] Her best singles result that year was a Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open, where she lost to Daria Gavrilova in a third set tiebreak. This time, Williams avenged her Australian Open loss in straight sets and went on to win the tournament. After the US Open, Stephens competed at the Italian Open. Stephens has a 5-2 record against Madison Keys, winning their first three matches in straight sets. [222], Stephens has played five seasons with World TeamTennis starting in 2009 when she debuted in the league with the New York Buzz, followed by a season each with the Washington Kastles in 2014, the Philadelphia Freedoms in 2017 and 2018, and the New York Empire in 2019. 11 in October and became the second-highest ranked American. She began training at the Evert Tennis Academy founded by John Evert and also run by his sister, International Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert. After two lopsided split sets, Stephens won a tight third set to reach her first Grand Slam singles final. [69] She then lost to world No. Stephens was raised by her mother and her stepfather, Sheldon Farrell, who married Smith in 1997 and worked as a business consultant. Stephens was defeated by a top ten player in both semifinals, No. [192] In November, she played for the U.S. team at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. 3 in the singles rankings after the tournament. 10, Karolna Plkov, in the second round. 1 Iga Swiatek trounces former champ Sloane Stephens", "Quite a scene in Parma; Sloane Stephens overcomes bee sting, difficult opponent", "Parma Ladies Open: Maria Sakkari claims last-8 spot; Sloane Stephens exits", "Sloane Stephens falls to Masarova in opening Auckland contest; Sofia Kenin sets Gauff clash", "Sloane Stephens in early Hobart WTA exit", "Australian Open 2023 results: Maria Sakkari avoids a shock against Diana Shnaider", "Mrida Open: Stephens gets first win of 2023", "World TeamTennis Adds Stars Tiafoe, Puig, Roanic, Bouchard, & Sock As Rosters Set For 2020", "U.S. Open Loss Behind Her, Madison Keys Accentuates the Positive", "Madison Keys will crack top 10 in world rankings after reaching Birmingham final", "Why is it the American women are thriving at the US Open? [141][249] Prior to these finals, Stephens had never lost a final on the WTA Tour.