Sloane Stephens has been nonstop this summer. After back-to-back tennis tournaments, the Florida-born tennis star is now heading to the US Open in New York. In case she's not on your radars yet, allow us to introduce Sloane Stephens to you. In 2018, she had a career-best ranking of world No. 3 after Wimbledon. She was the 2017 US Open champion and has won seven Women’s Tennis Association Tour singles titles in total. And did we mention she's only 30 years old?
Stephens comes from a family well-versed in athleticism. Her mother attended Boston University, where she was the first African-American woman to be named a first-team All-American swimmer in Division I history. Her father also played for the New England Patriots in the National Football League. And it goes even further back — her stepfather was a competitive recreational tennis player and was her primary inspiration for beginning to play the sport.
Ahead of her match at the US Open on August 28, we caught up with Stephens to talk about what care after a long day of tennis means to her, her personal style, and her partnership with Motorola.
Teen Vogue: What has your preparation for the US Open looked like?
Sloane Stephens: I’ve played a tournament every week since the end of July! DC, Montreal, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and I just arrived in NY today! It feels great to be out there competing and getting some solid matches under my belt to prepare for the US Open.
TV: What’s the one thing no one can prepare you for when it comes to professionally playing tennis?
SS: Even though tennis is an individual sport, you also are essentially the captain and CEO of your own little team, which when you’re just starting out can feel like so much, especially when you’re still figuring out who you are as a young person and learning to navigate life as a professional athlete. It’s really important to surround yourself with people you trust and who you know have your back and are all aligned on your goals.
TV: What does your everyday beauty routine look like?
SS: I keep things really simple since I’m sweating and training multiple times a day, and often outside in the sun and elements. My two main daily focuses are sun protection and odor elimination. I am religious about sunscreen use and will preach it to anyone who listens — no matter how melanated your skin is, the sun spares no one!
TV: What does your gameday beauty routine look like?
SS: Match days are pretty much the same routine as every other day; I love routines and keeping things simple. Depending on how my hair is styled for that week, I might do a braid for the match. You can always tell if my mom is with me at a tournament because she knows how to do the cutest fishtail braids.
TV: What’s your beauty routine look like when going out?
SS: I don’t wear a ton of makeup usually because I feel like my skin always has something on it — sunscreen, foundation for photoshoots, etc., so when I’m off duty, I’m usually pretty natural. I love a good glossy lip, moisturized and glowy skin, and to have a great fragrance.
TV: When not in your tennis outfits, what’s your go-to style?
SS: I love fashion and pulling together outfits — street style is definitely my thing. I recently started an LTK so I can share some of my looks and pieces that inspire me, so definitely a humble plug there for a follow! I try to look pulled together so I can capture content when I need to, but also, I’m still an athlete and need to care for my body, so I’m really mindful of trying to wear comfortable shoes to avoid blisters. I [collaborated] on a swimwear collection with Kitty + Vibe earlier this summer, which was a really fun process, and I got to play more with my sense of style and designing with a diverse audience in mind.
TV: What is your preferred outfit when training?
SS: For training, I’ve been loving the FP Movement On Repeat Logo Tee and the Never Better Leggings. I love to match and have complete looks, so leggings and a matching bra make it really simple when I’m packing for a long trip or preparing my bag for the next morning. I’ll throw on a great tee on top and be good to go. Since tennis involves swinging the racquet and a lot of dynamic movement, I try to wear things that are tighter to my body so there isn’t a lot of extra fabric in the way.
TV: Favorite colorway for a tennis outfit?
SS: I’ve had a lot of fun this year with my sponsor, FP Movement, and am so excited for everything we have ahead of us. I love color, and we’ve had a lot of fun experimenting. During the French Open this year, I wore the same outfit in a different color every single round. My friends and family couldn’t even pick a favorite because they were all so fun. For me, I need the fit to be good because, at the end of the day, my outfit is not only a fashion statement but it’s a piece of performance wear for my job.
TV: Do you prefer your morning or night routine? And why that one?
SS: Night! I love coming home to take a scalding hot shower and use an exfoliating scrub to literally scrub the day off me — sunscreen, sweat, dirt, airport germs, all of it. I go through my entire routine of face and body care to unwind, take some time alone for myself, and prepare to have a great sleep.
TV: How did your environment growing up affect how you navigate playing tennis?
SS: I come from a really loving and supportive family who has always fully encouraged me to pursue my passions, both on and off the court. I always say that a child’s first memories of tennis need to be really positive for them to continue wanting to play, and that was definitely the case for me. I try to create these same positive experiences for the 10,000+ youth we work with through the Sloane Stephens Foundation.
TV: What’s the best advice you’ve received in connection to your career?
SS: A coach once told me, “It’s not ‘if’, but ‘when,’” and I reflect on that a lot. It gave me a lot of confidence that anything is possible and to continue trusting in the process and doing the work.
TV: What’s one thing you did every day while training for the US Open? Whether that be a mantra, the use of a beauty product, etc.
SS: I’m a huge believer in routines and the really grounding force that having those consistent practices have, especially for someone who is always on the go and away from loved ones. Every night, I call my husband and stepson on my Razr+ to hear about how the school day went and everything going on at home.
TV: What is it like getting to work with the Motorola team?
SS: I’ve really enjoyed becoming a Motorola ambassador this year and working with the team. They’re all passionate about tennis and have a big presence at a lot of our tournaments throughout the year, so it’s great to work with a partner who really believes in both me and the power of tennis. The Razr is an iconic phone, I definitely remember being younger and noticing who got one and thinking it was the coolest thing ever, so it’s great to now be a part of the team as they’ve updated the Razr+ for the next generation.
