Tennis Champ Sloane Stephens Talks Personal Style & Advocating For Young Athletes Sloane Stephens knows what it’s like to be the underdog. In 2017, the tennis star entered the U.S. Open ranked No. 83 — only to go on and win the entire tournament, making history as the lowest-ranked U.S. Open champion ever. It was that glow-up that made Stephens a household name. Winning the U.S. Open turned her into a must-watch favorite among tennis fans and enthusiasts everywhere. However, few knew that prior to her first major win, Stephens had been recovering from a stress fracture in her left foot — making her landmark victory that much more impressive.Tennis Champ Sloane Stephens Talks Personal Style & Advocating For Young Athletes
Sloane Stephens knows what it’s like to be the underdog. In 2017, the tennis star entered the U.S. Open ranked No. 83 — only to go on and win the entire tournament, making history as the lowest-ranked U.S. Open champion ever. It was that glow-up that made Stephens a household name. Winning the U.S. Open turned her into a must-watch favorite among tennis fans and enthusiasts everywhere. However, few knew that prior to her first major win, Stephens had been recovering from a stress fracture in her left foot — making her landmark victory that much more impressive.
Now, two years later, she’s gearing up for the 2019 U.S. Open, slated to kick off August 26. Ahead of the tournament, Stephens made an appearance at Nike’s “Queens of the Future” event in New York City, a pop-up tennis experience designed to celebrate the next generation of athletes. Alongside Stephens, Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, and Maria Sharapova took to the court to train with young players from the United States Tennis Association and New York Junior Tennis & Learning.Refinery29 caught up with Stephens to chat about why advocating for young female athletes matters, how tennis changed the course of her life, and what she prioritizes when she’s choosing her performance wear.