Sloane Stephens has shared a candid assessment of her level after winning her opening match at the 2026 Cincinnati Open. The American shed light on her mindset regarding her career, expressing an optimistic outlook despite acknowledging the concerns surrounding her form.
What Sloane Stephens Said After Her First-Round Win at the Cincinnati Open
After her 2025 season was derailed due to a right foot injury, Stephens has been looking to get back to winning ways this year. The American battled through qualifying to reach the main draw of the French Open, but her campaign ended in a first-round loss. She then opted to skip the Wimbledon Championships.
Following a two-month absence from competition, Stephens kicked off her North American swing with a second-round exit at the Memphis Open. She then triumphed in the qualifiers of the Canadian Open and reached the second round of the main draw before falling short against Belinda Bencic.
Having received a wildcard for the Cincinnati Open, the 33-year-old was able to avoid the qualifiers and square off against Sinja Kraus in the first round. Stephens produced a stellar display to claim a 7-5, 6-3 victory, advancing to the second round of the WTA 1000 event.
Appearing on the Tennis Channel after her win, Stephens explained why she continued to compete in qualifying rounds at important events like Grand Slams instead of taking a step back from tennis.
“Honestly, someone asked me the other day like, ‘Why would you go play qualies of a Slam?’ And I’m like, ‘What else do I have to do?’ Like I’m like, you either got to do it or you don’t, you know? And I think for myself, it’s like just proving to myself that I can still compete at the highest level,” Stephens said.
Although the 33-year-old acknowledged that she has looked far from her best level in recent matches, she took pride in finding a way to win even on days when her game wasn’t clicking.
“I’m healthy, I’m pain-free, and things are going well. Oh, I think the tennis will come back eventually. It doesn’t look amazing all of the time and it doesn’t look like my best form that I’ve ever had, but I think that’s what makes it kind of cool is that I’m not winning at the best form and looking amazing, but I’m finding a way,” she added.
Sloane Stephens is set to face No. 24 seed Anastasia Potapova in the second round of the Cincinnati Open. If she triumphs over Potapova and advances to the third round, Stephens will lock horns with either No. 10 seed Marta Kostyuk or Sofia Kenin at the WTA 1000 event.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.