‘It could’ve been worse’ – Stephens after losing crown

DEFENDING US Open champion Sloane Stephens learned the hard way that the path to retaining a Grand Slam title is littered with obstacles, including a sauna-like court at Flushing Meadows and sinus infection.

But the 25-year-old American, who lost her quarter-final 6-2, 6-3 against Latvian Anastasija Sevastova, is not about to lose any sleep over her failed bid at a repeat or let it affect her fighting spirit going forward.

“I could have s**t the bed (lost) in the first round, and that would have been really bad,” Stephens said.

“So the fact that I made it to the quarter-finals and played some really good matches and I just competed as hard as I could, I mean (there’s) a lot to be proud of.”

Stephens’ triumph over friend and compatriot Madison Keys in last year’s final capped a remarkable comeback from injury.

She recovered from foot surgery that forced her to miss most of the season and from a ranking that had fallen to nearly 1,000 to win her first Grand Slam all inside a year.

Stephens returned to New York with a spring in her step amid hopes of becoming the first woman to retain a Grand Slam title since Serena Williams triumphed at Wimbledon in 2015 and 2016.

Having reached her second Grand Slam final at this year’s French Open before an encouraging tune-up to Flushing Meadows, Stephens was considered a favourite.