After Sloane “upset” Serena Williams during the quarterfinals of the 2013 Australian Open, fans believed that Stephens was ready to dominate women’s tennis. She was perfectly positioned as the No. 2 player in the US and was the highest ranked teen on the tour, but she failed to follow her win over Serena with consistent success.
Stephens has fallen to lower ranked players after beating Serena; she fell to Bethanie Mattek-Sands in April winning only two games in the match. The Florida native is now being referred to as the overhyped and overrated new face of women’s tennis.
But don’t dismiss the hype, yet. The WTA has Stephens ranked No. 16 in the world. Her ranking overshadows her minimal success on the court Since Stephens is only twenty years old; it’s possible for a bounce back within the next couple of tournaments if she allows herself to grow.
Stephens is as good as her ranking suggests. But her attitude and perspective of tennis should be questioned. When ESPN asked Stephens about the reason behind her recent losing streak she stated:
“I mean, [it’s] just a rough time,” Stephens said. “I don’t know. There’s not – there’s no specific thing that I’d say has happened or is not happening, but I don’t think it really matters. I’m [ranked No.] 16 in the world. I can lose in the first round the next two months and I probably would still be top 30. I’m not really too concerned about winning or losing or any of that, I don’t think… My life has changed, yeah, but I wouldn’t say I’m in a panic or anything.”
But she should be panicking, or at least thinking about her flaws and areas in need of improvement.
Most players want to win, but Stephens doesn’t seem to care either way; win or lose she’s still in the top 30. But is top 30 good enough? For an up-and-coming tennis player, proving herself to her peers, gaining respect, and making her name known throughout the tennis world should be her priority.
Why envision losing when winning is an option? A negative attitude will ruin the greatest athlete’s career.
“I have, like, to come to press after practice and I have to, like, do all these other things, and media, blah, blah, blah. But, I mean, I guess that’s what you kind of, like, work towards,” Stephens said, in an immature manner.
As someone who has been playing tennis since the age of ten, Sloane Stephens doesn’t appear to know much about the sport.
With time comes maturity and respect; two qualities that Sloane clearly lacks. With the right attitude and a genuine passion for tennis she can prove her doubters wrong, if they’re still willing to witness her transformation.
Now that Serena is healthy, Stephens’ focus should be on climbing the rankings and earning a rematch with the No. 1 player in the world. If Stephens pulls off an upset this time she’ll leave no room for questioning.
Stephens is currently playing in the Fed Cup World Group with fellow American tennis players Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Jamie Hampton, Varvara Lepchenko, and Liezel Huber.
