My lesson was every Saturday
morning at 9:30. I would normally
spend the night at my grandparents’
on the weekends, and they would
take me. I would wake up, and my
grandma would make me Cream of
Wheat and everything else I loved.
Then I would go to my lesson.
I learned how to swim in my
grandparents’ backyard. They have a
Everything was just so fun
and free and a good time.
I started homeschooling when
I was in sixth grade because every
weekend I would play a tournament,
and then I would miss at least a day
of school. When I was trying to
decide whether to turn pro or go to
college, my mom was like, Either’s
good. Let me know. I can never
make up my mind. I asked my
grandparents, all my uncles and
aunts. I took a vote. Everyone’s like,
You’re really good, you should try it.
I was like, O.K.!
There was a time when tennis
had gotten me down. It was when
I started having better results and
I was in the top 20. I had to learn
how to maneuver my new life and my
career. I was like, Ooh, I have to focus.
If I want to stay here, I have to practice
more, and I gotta do this, and I gotta
improve. It was very confusing and
very hard. Once I figured out how to
manage everything in my life, things
got very joyful again.
I started my foundation in
Los Angeles in 2013 to give other
kids who wouldn’t normally have
the opportunity to play tennis that
opportunity to pick up a racket. At
the beginning of the program, we
have a play day for around 500 kids.
At the end of the tennis term we
have another one. All of the same
kids come again. They’re like, Oh my
gosh, tennis is so fun. I had the best
time ever. I’m like, Oh my gosh,
me too. I love kids, and I love
helping and teaching and
watching them develop.
As a kid, I never even dreamed
it would be anything like this.
I thought, Oh, it’s fun now. I never
thought I’d ever be in the position
I am today and have any impact on
anyone else’s life. I have been able
to do so many amazing things and
meet so many amazing people.
From start to finish it’s been a
really cool, fun journey. n
massive lap pool. It was great, but
I hate swimming. I don’t know how
my mom [swam competitively at
Boston University]—literally so
boring. I went to a swim school,
and it was terrible! I quit that fast.
I played soccer and
My first racket was
I had that racket forever.
got the bigger version,
and then I got the adult
version. Every two years I’d get
Tennis was more of a family
loved it. Then my aunt started buying
me outfits. And my other aunt would
buy me scrunchies and hair ties and
ribbons. I was definitely into the
outfits. The shoes always had to be
matching.
I remember my mom and my
stepdad were at my first match. This
girl killed me; she’d been playing
tournaments for a long time.
Anybody who knows me knows that
I love hibachi. My stepdad took me
to hibachi with my little brother,
Shawn, and that was it. Every time
I would lose a match, my family and
I would go out to eat, and it was a
whole celebration, even if I lost. It
was just very fun, and it wasn’t about
the competition. It was just going out
and playing. My grandparents were
like, You look so cute in your outfit.
LOVE AT
FIRST SWING
Stephens dabbled
in other sports but
preferred tennis,
the sport her
stepdad played, over
swimming, the sport
in which her mom
was an All-America.
COU
RT
ESY
OF
SL
OAN
E^ S
TEP
HEN
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