Sloane Stephens starts new phase of “weird tennis journey” after Australian Open qualifying berth

Sloane Stephens will be the first to tell you that ebbs and flows are natural parts of a tennis career.

“In my career, I’ve had ups and downs that have been exciting, not exciting, anticlimactic, all the things,” Stephens said with a smile after booking her spot in the 2026 Australian Open main draw. “That’s a part of life and a part of the journey.”

But even Stephens, a 32-year-old former Grand Slam champion currently ranked No. 1097 in the world, would concede her trajectory doesn’t quite mirror one of the average player’s.

“I just told my coach earlier that this whole tennis journey keeps getting weirder and weirder,” joked the American.

That journey took the 2017 US Open winner off tour for much of the last 12 months as she dealt with a persistent foot injury. Playing just six matches in 2025, Stephens watched tennis from the literal sidelines as an analyst for various networks, watching the game evolve—but remain recognizable—in her absence.

“When you don’t play a lot, there’s a little lull. You don’t feel as competitive and you don’t feel as attached to the game,” she explained. “So, it was just being able to get back, train really hard, and play and have fun on court at home. Then, I was able to translate that into a match.”

After starting the 2026 season with a three-set defeat at the ASB Classic, Stephens—along with her mom, aunt, and coach Kamau Murray—traveled to Melbourne early to compete in qualifying for the first time since 2011. For reference, the last time Stephens didn’t gain direct acceptance into a Grand Slam main draw, the Harry Potter and Twilight film series were still in theaters.

“I think I was the only Grand Slam champion to be in qualies, which was interesting,” Stephens said with a still-formidable side eye. “I was like, ‘Oh God! A lot of pressure.’ I hadn’t won a match since God knows whenever, so I was just like, it’s an opportunity to go and play and try to figure it out.”

She figured it out with few issues over three rounds, rallying from a set down to defeat Australian Olivia Gadecki on Wednesday and holding off a late surge to solve No. 2 seed Lucia Bronzetti to guarantee a 14th main-draw appearance in Melbourne.

“It was weird to be in qualies and wonder how it even worked,” mused Stephens. “I didn’t even know we played back-to-back from yesterday to today. There were so many things I didn’t know, but I was like, ‘I’m just gonna play.’ It’s strange but it’s fun. You go out there, do the best you can. A lot of times in my career, I haven’t been afraid to put myself out there, win or lose. Sometimes you get rewarded and sometimes you don’t.”

Where past years have been rife with stress, the 2013 semifinalist is taking a different approach on the court and behind the scenes, vlogging her trip to Melbourne in a rare peek behind the curtain into Stephens’ off-court life.

“I would have never shown anything like that ever in life,” Stephens laughed. “It’s just another way to have fun and experience things, and not be so serious. Being on the other side and doing TV and stuff, I can see how fans would want to see those kinds of moments.

“Definitely one of the goals this year is just to have more fun and to enjoy it. I want my family, friends and everyone to be able to experience it.”

Definitely one of the goals this year is just to have more fun and to enjoy it. I want my family, friends and everyone to be able to experience it. Sloane Stephens

As mom Sybil texted near the small interview scrum, Stephens showed off her Free People Movement tennis dress, a lacey yellow ensemble evocative of Ted Tinling’s iconic designs.

“This was made in my living room, and it took about four fittings,” claimed Stephens, lifting her sweatshirt to show off the intricacies. “Maria Sakkari asked me if it was even a tennis dress and I was like, ‘Yeah girl. Let me show you!’ Free People Movement, they’re growing and they’re like the cool kids in town.”

Win or lose, that’s a role Stephens has inhabited flawlessly in over a decade on tour. Determined to play through this comeback with no regrets, she appears ready to take that casual confidence back to the Grand Slam stage this weekend.