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. Her second title of the year also came on hardcourt at the Mexican Open. At just 19 years old Sloan Stephens lived hers and won the 2017 US Open. [134], Despite winning the second biggest title of her career, Stephens was unable to make the quarterfinals in any of her French Open preparation tournaments. Seeded fourth, she overcame a bee sting to beat Magdalena Frch in the first round. That is a definite contest. "Looking back on it now, I should have asked to. In the round robin stage, Stephens swept her group of Naomi Osaka, Kiki Bertens, and Angelique Kerber to advance to the knockout stage. [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. 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. Heather Watson vs Sloane Stephens - Match WTA - ATX Open 2023 - Round Stephens was born on March 20, 1993 in Plantation, Florida to Sybil Smith and John Stephens, both of whom were accomplished athletes. Sloane Stephens reunites with coach Kamau Murray | Tennis.com [214] Ranked 51 at the US Open, she lost again in the second round to world No. The American player, who competed in both the U.S. Open and the. Her first upset of the tournament came in the second round over No. Also, I like listening to Depeche Mode and walking my dog. [159], As the top seed in Acapulco, Stephens was beaten in the first round by world No. Sloane Stephens' Coach on 'Creative' Ways They Kept Up Her Training Regimen amid Pandemic Still, she says, "The pandemic has taught me to focus more on what I can control and less on what I cannot. [211], Stephens started her US Open series at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. She lost in the first round to Ajla Tomljanovi. 5 in the world. [251][252][253] She sometimes flattens out her shots, even on the run, and goes for stinging winners. Kamau Murray (left) coaches Sloane Stephens but that's not his only job. She defeated four unseeded players to make her first Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal and set up her second clash with Williams that month. In contrast, she has a more compact swing with her two-handed backhand. 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. [154], Outside of the majors, Stephens best performance also came on clay at the Madrid Open, a Premier Mandatory event. [270][139] Stephens split with Murray during the 2018 offseason before reuniting with him in August 2019 shortly before the US Open. 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. [156] Stephens fell out of the top 10 shortly before the US Open, and again afterwards. [32], Stephens played her first professional events on the ITF Women's Circuit in late 2007. [111][112] However, she showed some signs of improvement by reaching the doubles final at Washington with Eugenie Bouchard. [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. This match takes place at ATX Open 2023 - Round of 16 - 01 March 2023. . 28, Yulia Putintseva. The Coach and The Star Social Highlights UTS Testing Equipment The Eye of the Coach Legendary Racquets . After two lopsided split sets, Stephens won a tight third set to reach her first Grand Slam singles final. 10 Angelique Kerber in the fourth round and quarterfinals, and No. Varvara Gracheva ousted Sloane Stephens in their quarter-final match at the ATX Open on Friday. [165] At the Cincinnati Open, she was defeated in the first round by Caroline Garcia. 9, Carla Surez Navarro, in the second round for her first top-ten victory in almost two years. [158] This was her first loss to a player outside the top 200 since 2011. [45] With a higher seed, Stephens had a strong US Open series for the second consecutive year. She ended up taking the rest of the year off to recover. Whereas the other leading Americans are some of the most aggressive players on the WTA Tour, Stephens has a more passive approach. Nadal's former coach Roig to work with American Stephens Sloane Stephens hired Kamau Murray, left, last fall to lift her career. Stephens had frequently been regarded as a potential successor to Serena Williams to become the next top American women's tennis player, if not the best in the world. [136][137] Despite going up a set and a break, Stephens lost the final to world No. [157] At the first edition of the Adelaide International, she was defeated in the first round in straight sets by world No. [97] She maintained a steady ranking all year, dropping no lower than No. In thecharacteristically wide-open landscape of women's tennis, Stephens will be one of many potential contenders for this year's U.S. Open, which will announce its main draw Thursday and begin play Monday. Sloane Stephens splits with coach Paul Annacone - USA TODAY Her mother was the first African-American woman to be named a first-team All-American swimmer in Division I history. We have collected in the table the data about the trophies won by Sloane Stephens under the guidance of various coaches.CoachesYears of CompletionTitlesFrancisco Gonzalez 2002 2004John and Chris Evert2004- 2005Nick Saviano2005 2009; 20152015 Washington DC OpenRoger Smith2009 2012David Nainkin 2012 2013Paul Annacone 2013 2014Thomas Hogstedt 2014 2015Kamau Murray 2015 2018; 2019 20212018 Miami Open 2017 US Open 2016 Auckland Open 2016 Acapulco Open 2016 Charleston OpenDarian King2021 till date2022 Guadalajara Openif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thetennistime_com-leader-1','ezslot_15',560,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thetennistime_com-leader-1-0'); Hi all, I'm Nick. 23, compatriot, and eventual finalist, Coco Gauff. I'm just gonna keep improving and getting better and looking forward to the next tournaments. He coached Sloane Stephens to a US Open title, but Kamau Murray's big Sloane Stephens's Coach Recommits to Craft After Health Scare Seeded seventh, she lost in the first round to qualifier Leylah Fernandez. [168] Seeded eighth in Strasbourg, she was beaten in the first round by Nao Hibino. 3 Angelique Kerber. [42][17] Her only other WTA Tour win that year came at the Swedish Open in July. She defeated Lucie Hradeck in her first career main-draw match before losing to the defending champion, 12th-seeded Vera Zvonareva. [134][225] They have also both been labelled as leaders of the next generation of American women's tennis. 3 in the singles rankings after the tournament. 802, she finished the 2010 season just inside the top 200 at No. [200] At the Indian Wells Open, she fell in the first round to 2018 champion Naomi Osaka. Their relationship ended in 2012; David Nainkin. [190], At the first edition of the Chicago Fall Classic, Stephens was eliminated in the first round by 13th seed Tamara Zidanek. ATX Open: Sloane Stephens exits in QF; Danielle Collins & Marta Kostyuk [220], Seeded second at the first edition of the Mrida Open in Mexico, Stephens got her first win of the year by beating qualifier Lolia Jeanjean in the first round. Sloane Stephens is a top-rated American female tennis player with a lot to offer and a potential successor to the retired Serena Williams. Sloane Stephens: Finding her Game, Finding her Zen in Charleston [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. Although she was initially expected to only miss several months, it was later discovered that she would need surgery that would keep her out for the first half of 2017 as well. 2, Maria Sharapova. [12][13][14] Two years after she started playing tennis, Stephens relocated to Boca Raton in Florida. Her game is commonly referred to as possessing "easy power" due to the seemingly casual nature in which she injects pace into her shots. 1 seed, followed by this year's French Open champion, Ashleigh Barty, at No. She lost her first two matches back, one to compatriot Alison Riske at Wimbledon, and the other to No. She is enshrined in the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame and recognized as the greatest swimmer in the history of the university. She has no Doubles titles and has been ranked as high as 94 under the category. 6 in the world, her best year-end ranking to date. [99][100] Stephens would win two more WTA titles during the season. [103] Part of her prize in Charleston included a car from the title sponsor Volvo, which Stephens was unaware of until after the tournament. He is best known for coaching Sloane Stephensto the US Opentitle in 2017. [184] She was defeated in the third round by Liudmila Samsonova in three sets. [49] With this third-round appearance, Stephens made her debut in the top 100 of the WTA rankings and also became the youngest player in the top 100 at 18 years old. 109, Melinda Czink, while still only 15 years old, but was unable to advance to the main draw in any of these appearances. She won her only match, a doubles dead rubber with partner Liezel Huber, as the United States won the tie 50 to return to the top-level World Group in 2013. [91] Having struggled at the last three Grand Slam events, Stephens managed to upset world No. Serena Williams, who reached the finalsof her previoustwo tournaments, is the No. This loss snapped her streak of reaching the second week of every major since a third-round loss at the 2012 US Open. She also started the Sloane Stephens Foundation, which helps build tennis courts and set up after-school tennis programs for underserved students in conjunction with supplemental tutoring. (W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (WL) winloss record. During each tournament, she defeated four top 50 players including Lucie afov and 14th-seed Petra Kvitov at both events, and also No. Chicago defeated the Orlando Storm to earn a spot in the final, but ultimately fell to the New York Empire in a supertiebreaker. [45], She had foot surgery in January and could not walk again without a boot until the middle of April. [16] From then on, she split time living in both California and Florida. [23] Mladenovic ended up winning the tournament, and would also defeat Stephens in their next encounter at the Wimbledon quarterfinals. [56] This string of performances brought her into the top 50 of the WTA rankings for the first time. However, she was able to produce her best result at the tournament, making it to the final. [89] In 2017, Stephens defeated Keys in the final of the US Open to win her first major title. 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. For Sloane Stephens, the beginning of a friendship", "Sloane Stephens Ready to Sparkle in 2013", "WIL 12 Serena Williams vs. Sloane Stephens Match Summary", "The Stars and Stripes in 2013: Sloane Stephens", "Serena, Venus lift USA past Sweden in Fed Cup", "Stephens' maturation continues as she exits French Open quietly", "Wimbledon: Sloane Stephens steals spotlight from Serena Williams again", "Maria Sharapova beaten by Sloane Stephens in second round of Cincinnati Masters", "USTA FL Friday Blog: Roddick Debut on FOX Sports 1; Tennis on TV", "Serena Williams defeats Sloane Stephens in fourth round of U.S. Open", "WTA Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens head to Istanbul as alternates", "Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens withdraw from Hobart International", "Australian Open 2014: Victoria Azarenka breezes past Sloane Stephens to dispel memories of controversial victory last year", "Sloane Stephens advances to Indian Wells quarterfinals in strong outing", "France stun USA to seal World Group place", "French Open 2014: Simona Halep beats Sloane Stephens in fourth round", "Sloane Stephens ousted in first round at Wimbledon by Maria Kirilenko", "Sloane Stephens falls in second round of U.S. Open", "What's Next for Sloane Stephens After Early 2015 Australian Open Exit? 270, Renata Zaraza. Uli Seit for The New York Times "Every player that I have coached will affirm that I am a very clear. A look at Sloane Stephens' Fresno ties", "WTA star Sloane Stephens expands youth programs in Fresno", "Tennis Pro Sloane Stephens Has Valley Roots", "Is Sloane Stephens the Future of American Tennis? The match win and her run into a Grand Slam singles semifinal garnered international attention and put her on the cusp of cracking the top 10 of the WTA rankings later in the season. Mental Health Is on Sloane Stephens's Mind, Too - The New York Times 1 Barty at Volvo Car Open", "WTA Madrid 2021: Halep in the 3rd round, Osaka eliminated", "IN A ROME CLASH FULL OF SHIFTS, MADISON KEYS TOPPLES SLOANE STEPHENS", "Wang Qiang sails past Stephens to make finals of Emilia-Romagna open", "Sloane Stephens Upsets No. The two Americans finished the round-robin in third place in their group, with only one rubber win against Spain. [221] She was double bageled in her quarterfinal match by eventual champion Camila Giorgi. Here, Stephens upset No. [128] This was the first title for the United States since 2000. 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. In the first tie, Slovakia beat the USA 21. [46] She then made it through qualifying at the French Open to make her Grand Slam main-draw debut in singles. 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. 3 Garbie Muguruza, and No. She fell out of the top 20 upon losing her 2018 WTA Finals rankings points near the end of the season. [291][13][292], Stephens has been married to United States national soccer team player Jozy Altidore, who was also one of her childhood friends in Florida, since 1 January 2022. [209] Due to her quarterfinal result at Roland Garros, her ranking improved from 64 to 47. [150][151] She also reached the third round at Wimbledon, despite having lost her previous two opening round matches there. [117] She then defeated No. [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. Due to a rain suspension, she was forced to play the end of her semifinal match against No. Tennis News. Her former junior coach Chris Evert has questioned her motivation on multiple occasions and attributed stretches of inconsistency at various times in her career to her mentality. [239][237] She also noted that she has read Serena's autobiography and respects her strong personality. [93] In her only grass-court tune-up, Stephens made it to the semifinals at the Eastbourne International. [152] Konta also defeated her at Wimbledon. Former top 100 player Francisco Gonzlez, the head of tennis at the club, recognized Stephens had impressive ability given her limited experience and recommended her to pursue more rigorous training opportunities. Kamau also established a Tennis Programme named XS in Chicago. Francisco was an ex-Paraguay tennis player who retired in 1990 after claiming 10 Doubles and no Singles. Emma Hruby Dec 22, 2022. "[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. [187] At the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, she lost in the first round to qualifier Caroline Garcia. The American coach has worked with Sloane on two different occasions, although the second relationship was not so fruitful. 21, Jessica Pegula.[202]. Two days later, the 26-year-old tweeted that she and Murray have reunited. [83] After playing in one more tournament in September, she ended her season early to recover from a wrist injury. [48] Later that month, she was awarded a wildcard into her first US Open main draw. I either write tennis articles or play tennis with my friends. After the US Open, Stephens competed at the Italian Open. Roger, who only recorded three (3) Doubles titles during his career, led Sloane to 3 Doubles Grand Slams titles as a junior player and into the Worlds Top 100. 30 Sara Errani. Sloane Stephens' Coach on How They Kept Up Her Training Regimen - Peoplemag [114][115][45], Stephens entered the US Open at No. Sloane started working with David in 2012 to help her qualify for the 2012 Olympics; however, she eventually missed out on this. Nonetheless, she finished the year as the youngest player in the top 50 at No. In Murray's absence, Stephens had worked with Sven Groeneveld for three months. 5 and winning three out of four major girls' doubles titles in 2010 with her partner Tmea Babos. 92 to reach the fourth round. [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. [162] After Monterrey, the WTA tour was suspended from the rest of March through July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[163][164]. [72] Nonetheless, her best result of the season came at the French Open, where she lost to No. [263] In June 2012, Stephens switched coaches to David Nainkin in order to try to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. 2, Simona Halep, at the Washington Open. 3 in the world. Now she's won . 25, Jamie Hampton. [40], In the middle of 2009, Stephens participated in World TeamTennis as a member of the New York Buzz. "[61] Stephens improved on that result the following week with a semifinal at the Hobart International. Sloane Stephens: Meet Your Coach | TopCourt - YouTube [121] She then won their next meeting in the semifinals of the 2018 French Open to reach her second Grand Slam singles final. Sloane Stephens 2021 - Net Worth, Salary and Endorsements [148] In her final match of the season, Stephens was able to win the first set against Elina Svitolina, but ultimately lost the match. Betrayal or Just Business? A Coaching Breakup Looms Over Two Top Women Although Williams won the match in straight sets, she praised Stephens, saying she could be "the best in the world one day. [141][249] Prior to these finals, Stephens had never lost a final on the WTA Tour. [192] In November, she played for the U.S. team at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. During the tournament, she reached the semifinals, where she lost to No. 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. [71] Her best win at these two majors came in the first round of Wimbledon against world No. The following year at age 12, Stephens switched to the Nick Saviano High Performance Tennis Academy, and also began online homeschooling. 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. Sloane Stephens [67][76] She finished the year at world No. 24, and 2019 champion, Madison Keys, in the second round. Sloane Stephens reunites with coach Kamau Murray ahead of U.S. Open [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. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Tennis Time tells you whats new in tennis life and what you cant miss. Stephens started her clay-court season at the Charleston Open. It was announced that she will joining the Chicago Smash for their debut season, during the 2020 WTT season set to begin July 12 at The Greenbrier.[223]. Since then, she has risen to become a star, winning a total of 7 Singles career titles, including a Grand Slam and attaining a career highest ranking of 3. [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. Emma Raducanu defeats Sloane Stephens in early Australian Open test. Back home at the Citi Open, Sloane Stephens's hitting partner is Thomas is an ex-Swedish professional player and coach who has worked with many top players such as Tommy Haas, Magnus Norman, Eugenie Bouchard, Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Simona Halep, Madison Keys, and Johanna Konta. [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. 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. On the WTA results with. Austin mayor Kirk Watson presents Sloane Stephens with the 2023 Catalyst award Thursday night along with a $250,000 check to her foundation that works to introduce tennis to young players . She parted with him after the 2013 season in order to find a full-time coach.