History of Sloane Stephens in Timeline
Sloane Stephens is a highly accomplished American professional tennis player, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 3. Her most significant achievement is winning the 2017 US Open. Overall, Stephens has secured seven WTA Tour-level singles titles. She has also achieved a doubles ranking of No. 63, winning one WTA doubles title.
1981: All-American Semifinals
In 1981, was the first all-American semifinals at a major since US Open.
1985: All-American Semifinals
In 1985, was the first all-American semifinals at a major since Wimbledon.
March 20, 1993: Sloane Stephens Born
On March 20, 1993, Sloane Stephens, an American professional tennis player, was born.
1994: Father's Arrests
In 1994, Sloane Stephens's father and mother separated following his multiple arrests.
1995: Historical Doubles Feat
In 1995, Corina Morariu and Ludmila Varmužová became the second pair of girls to win three Grand Slam tournament doubles titles in one season.
1997: Mother's Remarriage
In 1997, Sloane Stephens's mother, Smith, married Sheldon Farrell, who became Stephens's stepfather.
2000: Fed Cup Title
In 2000, the United States won their first Fed Cup title.
2002: American Major Title
In 2002, Jennifer Capriati won the Australian Open.
2002: All-American Semifinal
In 2002, the Stephens-Keys semifinal match was the first all-American semifinal since 2002.
2006: Top 5 Ranking
In 2006, Stephens reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world, making her the first American woman other than the Williams sisters to be ranked in the top 5 in singles since Lindsay Davenport in 2006.
2006: Junior Circuit Debut
In 2006, at the age of 13, Sloane Stephens began competing in low-level events on the ITF Junior Circuit.
2007: Stepfather's Death
In 2007, Sloane Stephens's stepfather, Sheldon Farrell, passed away from cancer.
2007: Professional Circuit Debut
In late 2007, Sloane Stephens participated in 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.
2008: WTA Tour Event Debut and First Doubles Title
In 2008, Sloane Stephens received a wildcard into the Miami Open qualifying round, marking her WTA Tour event debut, and later won her first professional doubles title in Wichita with Christina McHale.
2009: World TeamTennis and Turning Pro
In 2009, Sloane Stephens participated in World TeamTennis and decided to turn pro in October after a strong junior season.
2009: Junior Titles
In 2009, Sloane Stephens won the USTA International Spring Championships and the Italian Open.
2009: Biological Father's Death
In 2009, Sloane Stephens's biological father died in a car crash, marking a period of personal loss.
2009: World Team Tennis Debut
In 2009, Stephens debuted in the World Team Tennis league with the New York Buzz.
2009: Coaching with Roger Smith
Roger Smith began coaching Stephens in early 2009, helping her become a top-ranked junior.
March 2010: WTA Main-Draw Debut at Indian Wells
In March 2010, Sloane Stephens qualified for the Indian Wells Open, marking her WTA Tour main-draw debut and securing her first career main-draw match win.
2010: Junior Grand Slam Doubles Titles
In 2010, Sloane Stephens and Tímea Babos won the doubles title at three Grand Slam tournaments, marking a significant achievement in their junior careers.
2010: Junior Grand Slams
In 2010, Sloane Stephens only played in the remaining junior Grand Slam events and skipping the Australian Open.
2010: Clothing Sponsor with Under Armour
In 2010, Under Armour became Sloane Stephens' clothing sponsor.
2011: WTA Ranking Climbs
In 2011, Sloane Stephens climbed the WTA rankings, winning her first professional singles title and making her Grand Slam main-draw debut at the French Open.
2011: Loss to Player Outside Top 200
In 2011, at the Adelaide International in 2020, Stephens suffered her first loss to a player outside the top 200 since 2011, losing to Arina Rodionova.
June 2012: Coach Switch
In June 2012, Stephens switched coaches to David Nainkin in order to try to qualify for the 2012 Olympics.
2012: Streak Break
In 2012, Sloane Stephens had a third-round loss at the US Open which broke her streak.
2012: First Encounter with Halep
In 2012, Stephens had her first encounter with Halep at the Barcelona Ladies Open, which Halep won.
2013: Wimbledon Quarterfinals
In 2013, Sloane Stephens had her first major quarterfinal since Wimbledon.
2013: Fed Cup Debut and World Group Return
In 2013, Sloane Stephens made her Fed Cup debut, contributing to the United States' return to the top-level World Group.
2013: Upset Victory over Sharapova and US Open
In 2013, Sloane Stephens upset Maria Sharapova at the Cincinnati Open and reached the fourth round of the US Open.
2013: Victory Against Serena Williams
In 2013, Stephens secured her only victory against Serena Williams at the Australian Open, garnering international attention.
2013: Wins Against Halep
In 2013, Stephens won her next two meetings with Halep, including a first round match at the Australian Open.
2013: Relationship with Serena Strained
In 2013, Stephens's relationship with Serena Williams became strained after their match at the Australian Open.
2013: Australian Open Semifinal Run
In 2013, at the age of 19, Sloane Stephens gained prominence with a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open, which included defeating Serena Williams.
2013: Breakthrough Tournament
In 2013, under Nainkin, Stephens had her breakthrough tournament at the 2013 Australian Open and reached a career-best ranking of No. 11 in the world.
2014: US Open Loss
Following her early 2014 US Open loss, Stephens expressed a mindset of not dwelling on outcomes.
2014: Halep Enters Top Ten
In 2014, Both of Stephens' wins against Halep came before Halep entered the top ten.
2014: Australian Open and Indian Wells
In 2014, Sloane Stephens competed at the Hopman Cup and the Australian Open, and had her next success at the Indian Wells Open, where she upset Ana Ivanovic and reached the quarterfinals.
2014: Injury Hindrance and Fed Cup Playoff
In 2014, Sloane Stephens struggled with an abdominal injury, impacting her performance and leading to a loss in the Fed Cup playoff tie against Sweden.
2014: Washington Kastles Season
In 2014, Stephens played a season with the Washington Kastles in the World Team Tennis league.
2014: Briefly Worked with Thomas Hogstedt
In late 2014, Sloane Stephens briefly worked with Thomas Högstedt as her coach.
2014: Split with Annacone
In late 2014, Stephens split with Paul Annacone after not matching the success from her previous year that season.
2015: Ranking Decline
At the end of 2015, Sloane Stephens experienced a regression in her tennis career, falling outside the top 25 in rankings.
2015: Returned to Nick Saviano and Replaced Him with Kamau Murray
At the start of 2015, Sloane Stephens returned to her longtime junior coach, Nick Saviano, and in the offseason of 2015 she replaced him with Kamau Murray.
2015: First Meeting with Madison Keys
In 2015, Stephens first met Madison Keys in the second round of the Miami Open.
2015: Losses to Serena Williams
In 2015, Stephens lost to Serena Williams at the Indian Wells Open and the French Open, despite winning the first set in both instances.
2015: Serena Williams, a Colleague
In early 2015, Stephens described Serena Williams as simply a colleague.
2016: Struggles and Olympic Participation
In 2016, Sloane Stephens struggled at larger tournaments, participated in the Rio Olympics, and revealed a foot injury that would eventually require surgery.
2016: Coaching Change and WTA Titles
In 2016, Sloane Stephens switched to coach Kamau Murray, leading to a resurgence in her performance and three WTA titles in the first half of the year. However, a foot injury cut her season short.
2016: Won Three Titles
In 2016, Sloane Stephens, coached by Kamau Murray, won three titles.
2016: US Open
Ranked 66 at the US Open in August 2021, she was defeated in the third round by 16th seed and 2016 champion, Angelique Kerber.
2017: Kim Clijsters Congratulated Stephens
After Sloane Stephens won the 2017 US Open title, Kim Clijsters, who was her favorite player growing up, personally congratulated her.
2017: US Open Victory and Comeback Player of the Year
In 2017, Sloane Stephens returned from injury to win the US Open in her fifth tournament back and was named WTA Comeback Player of the Year.
2017: Injury Recovery
In 2017, Sloane Stephens was set to miss the first half of the year due to surgery.
2017: US Open Final Rematch
In 2017, Sloane Stephens won a rematch of the 2017 US Open final against Madison Keys in the French Open semifinals.
2017: Won First Major Title
In 2017, Sloane Stephens won her first major title at the US Open while working with Kamau Murray.
2017: US Open Victory Against Keys
In 2017, Stephens defeated Madison Keys in the final of the US Open, securing her first major title.
2017: Philadelphia Freedoms Season
In 2017, Stephens played a season with the Philadelphia Freedoms in the World Team Tennis league.
2017: Graduated from Indiana University East
In late 2017, Sloane Stephens graduated from Indiana University East with a bachelor's degree in communications studies, completing her degree while recovering from foot surgery earlier in the year.
2017: Won 2017 US Open
When Sloane Stephens won the 2017 US Open, she credited her mother for supporting her tennis career since she was young.
2018: Two Big Matches
Both of Stephens' and Halep's biggest matches came in 2018, both of which were three set finals.
2018: Won First Premier Mandatory Title and Split With Murray
In 2018, Sloane Stephens won her first Premier Mandatory title and split with her coach Kamau Murray during the offseason.
2018: Premier Mandatory Title and WTA Finals Runner-Up
In 2018, Sloane Stephens won her first Premier Mandatory title at the Miami Open, reached the French Open final, entered the top 10, and finished as runner-up at the WTA Finals.
2018: Ranking Points Loss
In 2018, Stephens lost her 2018 WTA Finals rankings points near the end of the season, causing her to fall out of the top 20.
2018: Philadelphia Freedoms Season
In 2018, Stephens played a season with the Philadelphia Freedoms in the World Team Tennis league.
2018: French Open Semifinal Win
In 2018, Stephens won her next meeting against Madison Keys in the semifinals of the French Open, reaching her second Grand Slam singles final.
2018: First Title Since 2018
In February 2022, Stephens won her seventh WTA singles title at the Abierto Zapopan, her first title since 2018.
2018: Signed With Nike
In early 2018, Sloane Stephens signed a deal with Nike to be her clothing sponsor.
2018: Halep Rivalry
Stephens and Halep built a rivalry centered around their highest profile matches in 2018.
August 2019: Reunited with Kamau Murray
In August 2019, Sloane Stephens reunited with Kamau Murray shortly before the US Open after working with Sven Groeneveld for three months.
2019: Keys First Victory
In 2019, Keys defeated Stephens for the first time in the quarterfinals of the Charleston Open.
2019: New York Empire Season
In 2019, Stephens played a season with the New York Empire in the World Team Tennis league.
2019: French Open Quarterfinals
In 2019, Stephens reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time since 2019 by defeating 23rd seed and world No. 24, Jil Teichmann, in the fourth round, before she was defeated by 18th seed and eventual finalist, Coco Gauff.
2019: 2019 Season Struggles
Throughout the 2019 season, Stephens struggled to match her best performances at Grand Slam tournaments, though she remained in the top 10 for most of the year.
December 2020: Received MBA from DeVry University
In December 2020, Sloane Stephens received a Master of Business Administration degree from DeVry University.
2020: Stephens has a 1–6 record against Serena Williams, with three of their matches coming in 2013, other three in 2015 and one in 2020.
In 2020, Stephens has a 1–6 record against Serena Williams, with three of their matches coming in 2013, other three in 2015 and one in 2020.
2020: Chicago Smash Season
In 2020, it was announced that Stephens would join the Chicago Smash for their debut season in the World Team Tennis league.
2020: 2020 Season Start
Stephens began her 2020 season at the Brisbane International, losing in the first round to Liudmila Samsonova.
2021: Wore All-Black Outfit at French Open
At the 2021 French Open, Sloane Stephens wore a striking all-black outfit.
2021: Split With Kamau Murray
In 2021, Sloane Stephens split with Kamau Murray before the Miami Open and began working with Darian King.
2021: Stephens avenged the Charleston Open defeat
In 2021, Stephens avenged her Charleston Open defeat, beating Keys in straight sets in the 2nd round. But Keys prevailed at the 2021 Italian Open a month later. They played for a third time in 2021 at the US Open and Sloane prevailed in a third set tiebreak.
January 1, 2022: Married Jozy Altidore
On January 1, 2022, Sloane Stephens married Jozy Altidore, a United States national soccer team player and her childhood friend.
2022: Australian Open First Round Loss
Stephens began her 2022 season at the Australian Open, where she lost in the first round to Emma Raducanu.
January 2023: Endorsing Head Speed Line Rackets
As of January 2023, Sloane Stephens is endorsing the Head Speed line of rackets.
