Interesting interview you have given Sloane Stephens In the portal Essence, where the American talks about tennis from a different perspective than usual. Beyond her victories, her titles or her ranking, the Plantation player points to the progression she has had as a person in her years on the women’s circuit, the importance of giving the ranking fair value or the fundamental role of her mother in your day to day. All concepts nested in her professional career that are not usually touched on in these talks. We listen to her.
Memories of his big comeback in 2017
“When I was working on my comeback for Wimbledon after my foot surgery, my goal was not to win the US Open eight weeks later, as I ended up doing. My focus was on making incremental progress each day and truly enjoying the process as it could all be gone forever. That joy and that attitude to be back on the circuit helped me to play more freely”.
The psychological care of the tennis player
“It has taken me a lot of work and effort to be where I am today, both physically and mentally. The search for my mental health requires daily practice like any other muscle you train. I have my family and my team around me constantly supporting me, those are the voices I listen to and the opinions I respect”.
How to combine personal and sports life
“I don’t think there is a perfect balance, at least not all the time. For me it is a matter of being very intentional, thinking carefully about where I spend my time and effort at each moment of the day. If I’m in a ZOOM meeting talking about business, then I’ll be completely immersed in that business; if I am enjoying my free time with my husband, I disconnect from the mobile phone and focus totally on him. The same thing happens when I have to train on the pitch”.
His mother, key in this whole trip
“My mother was with me every step of the way, she was a former top level athlete, so she approaches every situation with empathy and understands the pressures I am under. Outwardly, she always looks very calm on the court, I focus my efforts on visualizing the next point and holding my breath. I learned all these tools from my mother, they are ways of taking care of oneself, I have always opted for talking to myself in a kind and positive way”.
person before tennis player
“For a while, I just went: ‘Sloane Stephens, the No. X-ranked tennis player.’ Then over time I learned to value myself, to be Sloane, the person, to understand that playing tennis is my job. There are multiple facets to my identity, so my ranking is not an accurate representation of who I am as a person.”
Ranking is not everything
“I always believe that the best is yet to come, for that I work hard every day, with that belief etched in my mind. I no longer allow myself to stress so much about my ranking, under any circumstances. It’s easier said than done, that’s true, but I’ve worked hard to have a much healthier relationship with those outsiders.”
