With third title of young year, Stephens' rollercoaster career at something of a peak

CHARLESTON, S.C.—The book on Sloane Stephens was that she only got up for big events. A semifinalist at the 2013 Australian Open at 19, Stephens went on to reach the fourth round at each of her next five majors, including a quarterfinal showing at Wimbledon. Yet it took her until the summer of 2015, in Washington, D.C., to at long last win her first tour-level title.

Fast forward from D.C. to S.C.—South Carolina, the site of Stephens’ third title of the young 2016 season—and the 23-year-old American is a more well-rounded and self-assured player than she was when she stunned Serena Williams in Melbourne three years ago. Only two players have won three WTA tournaments so far this year: Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and Stephens, the champion at Auckland, Acapulco and now Charleston, with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory over plucky qualifier Elena Vesnina.

“Being in the final from qualies, I still can’t believe I’m standing here,” said Vesnina, a finalist here five years ago but whose forte is doubles. “To Sloane, you deserve this win. I’m really happy for you.”

Stephens’ natural ability has never been questioned, but almost everything else about her has. Unable to build upon her instant success as a teenager, the Florida native has been passed over in the “next great American” race by Madison Keys, unfairly compared to Venus and Serena Williams, and called every name in the book, from a diva to a wasted talent to probably much worse. Since the 2014 French Open, she’s reached the fourth round of a major just once. After ending 2013 at No. 12 in the rankings, she finished outside the Top 25 each of the next two years. She bottomed out in Miami two years ago, taking a desultory 6-1, 6-0 defeat to Caroline Wozniacki, a jarring result that made everyone question just what kind of player Stephens really is.

The rollercoaster ride that is Stephens’ career hasn’t ended, even with her Lowcountry triumph, and it may just be beginning. In the six tournaments she’s played this season, Stephens has won three and lost her opening-round match at the others. (In an ironic twist, those losses came at the three most prestigious events, the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami.)

What does this latest week of consistency show? That at the very least, Stephens can rebound after taking a punch. As she said yesterday, there’s something to be said for bouncing back.

It was a resilient week from Stephens in many respects. Her main-draw record in Charleston was just 1-5—“They kept asking me back to the tournament,” Stephens said in faux disbelief today—but she won five matches this visit, four in straight sets. Today, she had the better of the extended early rallies and amassed a 5-2 lead without great difficulty. But Vesnina, whose experience in doubles Grand Slam finals served her well in the partisan arena, turned the set and match around with backboard-level defense and a constant barrage of deep, crosscourt backhands. Zoning, she forced Stephens to hit yet another forehand, move for yet another wide recovery and strike yet another volley as she slowly climbed back into contention. Like her entire career thus far, Stephens’ results to these challenges varied.

When Vesnina ran off a fourth consecutive game for a 6-5 lead and served for the set, an earlier remark by Rennae Stubbs, sitting in a suite high above the court, seemed prescient: “I said this yesterday, it’s going to be 7-5, 7-6 in the third—it’s going to be a battle.”

Stubbs was half-correct: This final was a battle, no time more so than in this pivotal game. In an unexpected turn—or ascent, on what I’ll call the Sloanercoaster—Stephens raced to a 0-40 edge. But after letting all three break points fall by the wayside—the ‘coaster was now careening down the track—a Vesnina escape was in sight. The 85th-ranked Russian earned a set point, but flattened a ball into the net. After a tense second deuce, where Stephens’ service return barely fell in and Vesnina’s backhand clipped the net and fell just out, the fourth time was a charm as she broke serve to reset the set.

In the safe haven of a tiebreaker, Stephens never trailed and took the hour-plus set to the delight of the well-heeled patrons. It took the wind out of Vesnina’s sails and sent the Sloanercoaster onto its smoothest path of the day: Once again, Stephens took a 5-2 lead. And once again, the fourth time was a charm for the crowd favorite. After a seemingly comfortable 40-0 advantage, Stephens finally secured the win on her fourth match point.

“I love Charleston, and I want to come back on vacation here,” a giddy Stephens said during her victory speech.

Stephens and Charleston didn’t mix in her prior visits, but in the tournament’s first year as the Volvo Car Open (for nearly half a century it was known as the Family Circle Cup), it was a fresh start for the world No. 25. And while the win and the trophy were nice, all Stephens could talk about when all was said and done was her new blue Volvo, a mobile emblem of achievement driven onto the green clay court.

“You guys, I just got a car!” exclaimed Stephens, who seemed genuinely moved by the gesture. “You might have saw my test drive last week. I told my coach, we should get one of those, it’s so cool!”

Where the Sloanercoaster goes next is anyone’s guess, and the same can be said for Stephens and her new ride. But at least for the moment, their values have never been higher.