Career Timeline of Sloane Stephens: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Sloane Stephens made an impact.

Sloane Stephens is a highly ranked American professional tennis player, achieving a career-high ranking of world No. 3. Her significant accomplishments include winning the 2017 US Open and reaching the final of the 2018 French Open. Stephens has secured eight WTA Tour-level singles titles throughout her career. In doubles, she holds a career-high ranking of world No. 63 and has won one WTA Tour doubles title, showcasing her versatility on the court.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2006: First American Woman in Top 5 Since 2006

In 2006, Sloane Stephens became the first American woman other than the Williams sisters to be ranked in the top 5 in singles since Lindsay Davenport.

2006: ITF Junior Circuit Debut

In 2006, at the age of 13, Sloane Stephens began competing in low-level events on the ITF Junior Circuit.

2007: Professional Debut

In late 2007, Sloane Stephens played her first professional events on the ITF Women's Circuit.

2008: US Open Doubles Final

In 2008, Sloane Stephens reached her first Grand Slam doubles final at the US Open with Mallory Burdette and also had a semifinal appearance at the Orange Bowl tournament.

2008: WTA Tour Debut and First Pro Title

In 2008, Sloane Stephens received a qualifying wildcard into the Miami Open, her first WTA Tour event. She won her first professional title in doubles at a low-level event in Wichita with Christina McHale.

2009: Debut in World TeamTennis in 2009

In 2009, Sloane Stephens debuted in the World TeamTennis league with the New York Buzz.

2009: First Junior Titles

In 2009, Sloane Stephens won her first two tournaments of the year: the Grade 1 USTA International Spring Championships and the Grade A Italian Open.

2009: Turned Professional

In 2009, after a strong junior season, Sloane Stephens decided to turn professional in October.

2009: Started being coached by Roger Smith

In early 2009, Roger Smith started coaching Sloane Stephens. With Smith as her coach, Stephens became a top-ranked junior, earning three Grand Slam tournament doubles titles, and entered the top 100 of the WTA rankings.

March 2010: WTA Tour Main-Draw Debut

In March 2010, Sloane Stephens qualified for the Indian Wells Open, making her WTA Tour main-draw debut a week before her 17th birthday. She won her first career main-draw match against Lucie Hradecká. She finished the 2010 season ranked No. 198.

2010: Junior Grand Slam Focus

Following big titles in 2009, Sloane Stephens primarily focused on the remaining junior Grand Slam events in 2009 and 2010, also skipping the Australian Open.

2010: Junior Success

In 2010, Sloane Stephens achieved a junior ranking of world No. 5 and secured three major girls' doubles titles in partnership with Tímea Babos.

2010: Under Armour sponsorship

In 2010, Sloane Stephens' clothing sponsor was Under Armour.

2011: Breakthrough Season

In 2011, Sloane Stephens climbed the WTA rankings, winning her first professional singles title at the Camparini Gioielli Cup in Italy and qualifying for the French Open, making her Grand Slam main-draw debut. She also reached her first WTA Tour quarterfinal at the Southern California Open and the third round of the US Open, entering the top 100 of the WTA rankings and becoming the youngest player in the top 100.

June 2012: Switched coaches to David Nainkin

In June 2012, Sloane Stephens switched coaches to David Nainkin to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. Although her ranking was sufficient, she missed qualifying as she was the fifth-highest ranked American.

2012: First Encounter with Halep in 2012

In 2012, Sloane Stephens first encountered Halep at the Barcelona Ladies Open, where Halep won.

2012: Fed Cup and Grand Slam Performance

In April 2014, Sloane Stephens returned to the United States Fed Cup team and lost to Maria Kirilenko in Wimbledon snapping her streak of reaching the second week of every major since a third-round loss at the 2012 US Open.

2013: Victory Against Serena Williams at the 2013 Australian Open

In 2013, Sloane Stephens achieved her only victory against Serena Williams at the Australian Open, garnering international attention.

2013: Upsets and Grand Slam Consistency

In 2013, Sloane Stephens upset Maria Sharapova at the Cincinnati Open and reached the fourth round of the US Open. She finished the year at world No. 12, making it to the second week of all four Grand Slam tournaments.

2013: Two Wins Against Halep in 2013

In 2013, Sloane Stephens won her next two meetings against Halep, including a first-round match at the Australian Open.

2013: Australian Open Semifinal

In 2013, at the age of 19, Sloane Stephens gained prominence by reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open and defeating world No. 3 Serena Williams along the way.

2013: Breakthrough tournament at the Australian Open

In 2013, under coach David Nainkin, Sloane Stephens had her breakthrough tournament at the Australian Open and reached a career-best ranking of No. 11 in the world. She later parted ways with Nainkin after the 2013 season.

2013: US Open Quarterfinal

In 2017, at the US Open Stephens advanced to her first major quarterfinal since Wimbledon in 2013.

2013: Fed Cup Debut

In late April 2012, Sloane Stephens made her Fed Cup debut in an away playoff tie against Ukraine, winning a doubles match with partner Liezel Huber, securing the United States' return to the top-level World Group in 2013.

2014: Halep Enters Top Ten in 2014

In 2014, Halep entered the top ten, marking a turning point in her rivalry with Sloane Stephens.

2014: Hopman Cup and Australian Open

In 2014, Sloane Stephens began at the Hopman Cup with John Isner and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. Her next successful tournament came in March at the Indian Wells Open, where she reached her first quarterfinal at a Premier Mandatory event.

2014: Season with the Washington Kastles in 2014

In 2014, Sloane Stephens played a season with the Washington Kastles in the World TeamTennis.

2014: First Match Wins at the Australian Open Since 2014

In 2014, Sloane Stephens secured her first match wins at the Australian Open since 2014.

2014: Injury and Fed Cup Playoff

In 2014, after aggravating an abdominal injury, Sloane Stephens was forced to miss the United States' quarterfinal Fed Cup tie. She played in the Fed Cup playoff tie in April and lost her only match against Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson. She also reached the fourth round of the French Open and the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.

2014: Briefly worked with Thomas Hogstedt

In late 2014, Sloane Stephens briefly worked with Thomas Högstedt as her coach.

2014: Split with coach Paul Annacone

In late 2014, Sloane Stephens split with her coach Paul Annacone after not matching the success from her previous year.

2015: Returned to Nick Saviano, then replaced with Kamau Murray

At the start of 2015, Sloane Stephens returned to her longtime junior coach, Nick Saviano. Later in the 2015 offseason, she replaced him with Kamau Murray.

2015: First Meeting with Madison Keys in 2015

In 2015, Sloane Stephens first met Madison Keys in the second round of the Miami Open.

2016: Inconsistent Performance and Injury

In 2016, Sloane Stephens had inconsistent results at Grand Slam tournaments and high-level Premier events. She revealed a left foot injury after the Rio Olympics and was later diagnosed with a stress fracture, ending her season. She was ranked No. 22 in the world at the end of July.

2016: Coaching Change and WTA Titles

In 2016, Sloane Stephens switched to a new coach, Kamau Murray, and subsequently won three WTA titles in the first half of the year. However, her successful year was cut short due to a foot injury.

2016: Won three titles with Kamau Murray

In 2016, with Kamau Murray as her coach, Sloane Stephens won three titles.

2017: US Open Final Victory Over Keys in 2017

In 2017, Sloane Stephens defeated Madison Keys in the final of the US Open to win her first major title.

2017: Season with the Philadelphia Freedoms in 2017

In 2017, Sloane Stephens played a season with the Philadelphia Freedoms in the World TeamTennis.

2017: US Open Victory and Comeback Player of the Year

In 2017, Sloane Stephens returned from injury and won the US Open in just her fifth tournament back. She was then awarded WTA Comeback Player of the Year for her successful season.

2017: US Open Final Rematch and Career High Ranking

In 2017, Sloane Stephens won a rematch against Madison Keys in the semifinals, mirroring the 2017 US Open final. Subsequently, she lost the final to Simona Halep, resulting in her first loss in a WTA Tour singles final, but catapulting her to a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world.

2017: US Open Win Over Madison Keys in 2017

In 2017, Sloane Stephens won a tight three-set first-round match over 2017 finalist Madison Keys at the US Open.

2018: Continued Season with the Philadelphia Freedoms in 2018

In 2018, Sloane Stephens continued her season with the Philadelphia Freedoms in the World TeamTennis.

2018: Premier Mandatory Title and French Open Final

In 2018, Sloane Stephens continued her success by winning her first Premier Mandatory title at the Miami Open, reaching a second major final at the French Open, entering the top 10 for the first time, and finishing runner-up at the WTA Finals.

2018: Two Big Matches Against Halep in 2018

In 2018, Sloane Stephens had two significant matches against Halep, both being three-set finals at the French Open and the Canadian Open.

2018: Won Premier Mandatory title, split with Murray

In 2018, Sloane Stephens won her first Premier Mandatory title and reached a career-high ranking at No. 3 in the world. She split with Kamau Murray during the 2018 offseason.

2018: French Open Semifinal Victory Over Keys in 2018

In 2018, Sloane Stephens won her next meeting against Madison Keys in the semifinals of the French Open to reach her second Grand Slam singles final.

2018: First Final and Title Since 2018

In February 2018, Sloane Stephens secured her first final and title since 2018 by winning the Abierto Zapopan in Guadalajara, Mexico.

2018: Signed with Nike

In early 2018, Sloane Stephens signed with Nike for her clothing sponsorship.

August 2019: Reunited with Kamau Murray

In August 2019, shortly before the US Open, Sloane Stephens reunited with Kamau Murray as her coach, after working with Sven Groeneveld for three months.

2019: French Open Quarterfinal Since 2019

At the French Open in 2019, Sloane Stephens reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019, leading to an improvement in her ranking.

2019: Upset Win and Quarterfinal Loss in 2019

In 2019, Sloane Stephens began her clay-court season with an upset win at the Charleston Open but lost in the quarterfinals. She reached the semifinals at the Emilia-Romagna Open and the fourth round at the French Open.

2019: Season with the New York Empire in 2019

In 2019, Sloane Stephens played a season with the New York Empire in the World TeamTennis.

2020: Match Against Serena Williams in 2020

In 2020, Sloane Stephens had one match against Serena Williams, adding to their overall record.

2020: Joining the Chicago Smash in 2020

In 2020, it was announced that Sloane Stephens would be joining the Chicago Smash for their debut season in the World TeamTennis.

2021: Split with Kamau Murray and started working with Darian King

Before the 2021 Miami Open, Sloane Stephens split with Kamau Murray and began working with ATP tennis player Darian King, who is also her practice partner.

2021: Matches Against Madison Keys in 2021

In 2021, Sloane Stephens avenged her Charleston Open defeat by beating Madison Keys but lost to her at the Italian Open. She prevailed against Keys at the US Open later that year.