"Beating Serena Williams was just a bonus" - Sloane Stephens revisits "shock" transition from juniors to pro tennis & journey afterward
Sloane Stephens recently revisited her win over tennis legend Serena Williams at the 2013 Australian Open. At the time, Stephens was just 19 and was still transitioning from juniors to pro tennis. According to the now-31-year-old, her shock victory over Williams and other successes on the WTA Tour that year feel like "bonuses" as she looks back at them.
Stephens made her ITF Junior Circuit debut in 2006 as a 13-year-old. In the following years, the Florida native gradually established herself as a promising talent, eventually making her WTA Tour-level debut as a qualifying wildcard at the 2008 Miami Open. In 2011, aged just 18, Stephens broke into the top 100 of the WTA Tour rankings.
Two years later, at the 2013 Australian Open, Sloane Stephens went into the prestigious hardcourt Major as the No. 29 seed. It was a landmark Grand Slam outing for Stephens, as she reached the quarterfinals for the very first time at a Major. Here, she squared off against Serena Williams, who was on a 20-match winning streak at the time.
However, Williams, plagued by back and ankle problems throughout that tournament, could not make her on-paper superiority count. Even though the senior player won the first set 6-3, Stephens came roaring back and won the next two sets 7-5, 6-4. Ultimately though, the then-19-year-old would be eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champion Victoria Azarenka.
Recently, Sloane Stephens was featured as a guest on the Tennis Insider Club podcast. During her conversation with the podcast's hosts, she recalled how tough it was for her to adapt to the demands of pro tennis after spending several years on the junior circuits.
Stephens said,
"As I was coming on tour, my age group of players, weren't where I was. So I think that was kind of a shock because it was only when I left my junior group that I had done really well, which made it weird, because again, I was on my own, kind of figuring it out" (at 8:45).
The 31-year-old proceeded to recount her Australian Open quarterfinal win over Serena Williams, and her other positive results that year. Stephens' other notable Grand Slam finish in 2013 came at the Wimbledon Championships, where she reached the quarterfinals before again losing to the eventual champion, Marion Bartoli.
"I think it was an interesting journey but i was obviously very fresh, very new and exciting. Obviously beating Serena at the Australian Open, making the semifinals of the Slam, to having really good results, that was just like a bonus."
The Florida native's career highlight came in 2017 when she won the US Open title to the surprise of many, on the back of returning to action after spending several months on the sidelines with a foot injury.
However, Stephens' 2013 Australian Open win over Williams was the only time that the former came out on top against the latter.
Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens' first and last matches against each other
The first time Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens faced each other was at the 2013 Brisbane International in the buildup to the Australian Open. While Williams won the match 6-4, 6-3, she lauded Stephens afterwards, saying:
"I think she can be the best in the world one day."
After Stephens caused one of the biggest shocks of the 2013 Australian Open with her win over Williams, the pair would lock horns five more times, but all of those matches ended in Williams' favor.
Their last meeting came in the third round of the 2020 US Open. On that occasion, Stephens looked in cruise control after a 6-2 first-set win. However, Williams' aggression across the next two sets proved simply too hot for the Florida native to handle, and she lost both of them 6-2, 6-2.