"I’ve met presidents, traveled the world; tennis has been my vehicle for that" - Sloane Stephens wishes to give back to tennis community
Sloane Stephens acknowledges the struggles of becoming a professional tennis player and hence is grateful to the sport for providing her with an opportunity to play at the highest level and enjoy different experiences in the world.
To express her gratitude, the American wants to work for the tennis community and help everyone she can. In a recent interview with US magazine Vanity Fair, Stephens stated that it was only because of tennis that she got to travel the world and meet the presidents of different countries. The 29-year-old added that she wanted to give back to the sport in whichever capacity she could.
“I always say tennis has given me such an incredible opportunity to do all these amazing things. I’ve met presidents. I’ve traveled the world. Tennis has been my vehicle for that. I’ve always loved to work in my community and I’d love to give back and give people those same opportunities,” she said.
As important as her tennis career is, she launched the Sloane Stephens Foundation in 2013 at the age of just 20. The foundation has helped around 10,000 students in the Compton Unified School District of Los Angeles, providing nearly 50,000 hours of tennis instruction.
“Tennis is a very hard sport to get into. You need a racquet. You need courts. You need coaches. It discourages a lot of parents and kids. Tennis has given me so much and being able to offer that to someone’s child through sport and education is really important," she added.
Having turned pro in 2009 as a teenager, Stephens has so far won a total of seven WTA singles titles and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 3 in 2018. The biggest highlight of her career till now was winning her only Grand Slam crown at the 2017 US Open where she defeated top players like Ash Barty, Venus Williams, and Madison Keys.
Sloane Stephens to begin 2023 season with ASB Classic
After the end of the 2022 season, Sloane Stephens enjoyed a vacation with her husband Jozy Altidore, who is a professional soccer player. She was recently scheduled to participate in the Africa Cares Women's Tennis Challenge in South Africa to raise awareness against gender-based violence. However, the event was postponed at the last moment.
The American player will begin her 2023 season at the WTA 250 ASB Classic to be played from January 2-8 in Auckland, New Zealand. Emma Raducanu, Coco Gauff and Leylah Fernandez will also feature in the tournament, among other players.