Time Sep

14 TIMESeptember 3–10 2018

Every highlight however seems to be

accompanied by a baling lame-out. After

winning the Open Stephens lost eight straight

matches. She was eliminated in the irst rounds

of the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Three

days after her clinic in Washington she lost to an

unseeded player at the Citi Open in D.C.

Inconsistency has dogged Stephens throughout

her career and it casts a long shadow over her

title defense in Flushing Meadows. Who will take

the court in Queens? The future of American

tennis with electrifying speed and a smile made

for Madison Avenue? Or the enigmatic should-be

superstar who’s prone to unforced errors? “It’s not

going to be easy” says Stephens discussing her

state of mind before the Open. “But at the end of

the day it’s all an experience right?”

STEPHENS ANNOUNCED HER ARRIVAL in 2013

when at 19 she upset Serena Williams in the

Australian Open quarterinals. She lost in the

semis but no matter: many tennis fans were

instantly drawn to her potential and charisma. Her

mother Sybil Smith is a school psychologist and

the irst black woman to be named a irst-team

All-American collegiate swimmer; her father John

Stephens was a former NFL running back who

died in an auto accident in 2009. Smith split with

Stephens when their daughter was 18 months old.

In 1994 John Stephens pleaded guilty to rape and

was facing a separate sexual-assault charge at the

time of his death. Stephens reconnected with her

father a few years before his death and didn’t learn

about the assault cases until after. She chooses to

remember the man she got to know. “I wish he

could come to a tournament and see my play now”

says Stephens. “I know he’s there. He’s watching.”

The high expectations following her upset

of Williams weighed on Stephens. “I felt really

disappointed when I wasn’t delivering and that

kind of brought me down more than it would have

normally” she says. Among tennis cognoscenti

she developed a reputation for indiference. “All

you can hope at this point is that Sloane Stephens

has a hard time sleeping tonight” the broadcaster

Mary Carillo said during Stephens’ 6-1 6-0 loss

to Caroline Wozniacki at the 2014 Sony Open in

Miami. After managing to win four tour events

in 2015 and ’16 Stephens withdrew from the ’

U.S. Open because of a foot injury.

Surgery and recovery kept her of the tour

for 11 months. Stephens didn’t fare well in her

return at Wimbledon but impressed at the

tune-up tournaments before the Open. Soon she

was enjoying the perks of being a Grand Slam

champion: an appearance onJimmy Kimmel

Live! pictures with Magic Johnson lucrative

endorsement deals with Nike Mercedes-Benz

YOUTH TENNIS CLINICS LIKE THE ONE REIGNING
U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens is holding
for some two dozen children in Washington D.C.
on this stiling summer afternoon tend to be
lighthearted afairs known in the trade as a hit and
giggle. Pro player lobs a few shots to the kiddies
waves to the cameras signs some autographs.
Sponsor gets exposure star gives back kids pick
up some tips—everyone goes home happy.
Stephens however doesn’t like such “foo-foo”—
her words—afairs. “Hustle!” she yells at a group
of 11-year-olds not moving fast enough for her
liking. “Come on pay attention!” she barks when
eyes wander. “Hey hey hey” Stephens says when
some kids balk at her command to run sprints on
the indoor courts. “You guys are going to have an
attitude when you didn’t inish what you started?”
During a break one girl walked to the sideline.
“They said she was going to be nicer” she griped to
her mother.
A few hours later Stephens is sitting sideways
on a hotel lobby couch and laughs when I relay the
young girl’s words. “I want to see you hit I want to
see your strokes I want to see you run” Stephens
25 says of her tough-love approach. “If I’m going to
spend an hour-and-a-half of my time we’re going to
get sh-t done.”
Lately no other American woman not named
Williams has gotten more done on the tennis court
than Stephens. Last September in New York she
became the irst American player—male or female—
besides the Williams sisters to win a major tourna-
ment singles title in 14 years. That she did it after
missing nearly a year because of injury and about
one month removed from being ranked 957th was
particularly striking as was her reaction. “Oh my
God” Stephens was caught mouthing on TV before
receiving the $3.7 million winner’s check. When
asked then if her irst Grand Slam title made her
want more Stephens spared all cliché: “Of course
girl. Did you see that check that lady handed me?”
The title raised hopes that Stephens could be
the heir to the Williams’ mantle and she has since
given more reason to believe it. In March she won
the Miami Open a top tournament one notch
below the four majors and she reached the inal of
the French Open in June. She’ll start the U.S. Open
on Aug. 27 as the third-ranked player in the world.

U.S. Open champion

Sloane Stephensis set

to defend her title in New

York—and defy her critics

By Sean Gregory

STEPHENS

QUICK

FACTS

Upset city

With her

victory at the

U.S. Open in

New York last

year Stephens

became just

the second

unseeded

woman to win

the title since

1968. Kim
      Clijsters the
      2009 winner
      is the other.

Buzzing

After winning

the Open

Stephens

says she had

1600 text

messages.

School

sweethearts

Stephens

irst met her

boyfriend

Toronto FC

and U.S.

national

soccer team

player Jozy

Altidore when

she was in

ifth grade.

TheBrief TIME with ...