Tennis player Sloane Stephens by Finlay MacKay
The mind of Sloane Stephens pinballs. Its attentions can ricochet from an e-mail to a Gchat to a random news story in the space of a moment--as fast as she runs down shots on the court. America's next great tennis hope--ranked 17th in the world--calls her bejeweled smartphone her "lifeline," "friend" and "boyfriend, if I need it to be." Before a sushi lunch in a Carson, Calif., strip mall, she makes a call, orders, then heads back outside to make another call. She has yet to return serve on 253 unread text messages. Stephens, who turned 20 in March, could be a poster child for millennial scatterbrain.
Once she locks in, watch out. She focused enough to shock Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of this year's Australian Open, giving notice of her potential. "When it comes to the next generation of American players," says tennis legend Chris Evert, "Sloane is ahead of everybody." Stephens has the whole package. She's capable of hitting rockets from any angle, anywhere on the court. "Her court coverage is exceptional; she's a great ball striker," says Evert. Also, she's got good looks, charisma and a charming lack of pretense. Dirk Nowitzki, John Legend and Shaq gave her Twitter shout-outs after the Serena win. She danced on Ellen.
If only she could concentrate--as she did against Serena--more consistently. While smacking back serves at practice, Stephens talks about her love for Blake Griffin, All-Star forward for the Los Angeles Clippers. "Noted," says one of her coaches, Troy Hahn. She mentions that an offensive lineman from Arkansas--Pine Bluff ran a fast time at the NFL scouting combine. She accidentally tramples a bee and keeps glaring at the carcass between shots. "Do you want to have a burial?" says Hahn, trying to recapture her attention. "A moment of silence?" Stephens smiles. "Always staying focused is something that's been very tough for me," she says later. "I'm still working on it."
Forgive tennis fans for begging her to hurry. For Americans, Stephens can help fill a post-Williams vacuum. Since 2003, no American not named Serena or Venus has won a singles Grand Slam on either the women's or the men's side. So going into this year's French Open, which starts on May 26, the most captivating question is clear: What will Sloane Stephens do?
Judging by her recent play, she won't necessarily win. Stephens is 5-8 since Australia, and one of those wins came courtesy of a Venus Williams withdrawal, because of a back injury, from a tournament in Miami. Stephens is still learning how to handle victory; the whirlwind that followed her upset of Serena left her exhausted, both physically and mentally. Slogging through a February training session, she looked as if she'd rather be in hell. "I've had a rough patch," Stephens says. "But I'm over it. I think once I start to have a little more fun, things will come a lot easier. I'm excited to take the next step and do my thing. Again."