SLOANE WINS LOVE MATCH
TENNIS US OPEN How tennis passion earned Stephens first big title Winners Clan join the Elite
KAMAU MURRAY had a message for his charge Sloane Stephens when she called him five months ago: “Let me know when you can walk.”
Following surgery Stephens was not allowed to put any weight on her foot for 16 weeks. She began hitting tennis balls sitting on a chair. Two months after her first tournament back she won the US Open.
The story, Stephens said on court following her 6-3 6-0 trouncing of fellow American Madison Keys in the Final, was impossible.
Yet there she was lifting her first Grand Slam trophy on home soil and, with wide-eyed incredulity, collecting a cheque for £2.8million.
Stephens had plateaued after reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open in 2013 before turning to Murray ahead of the 2016 season.
The former college player combined his coaching with a corporate job in pharmaceuticals until two years ago when he decided to go full-time.
He also established a foundation in Chicago teaching tennis to underprivileged children and it was Stephens’s enthusiasm for that project that convinced him she was a player he wanted to work with.
There were positive signs prior to the stress fracture that sidelined her last August but neither could possibly have imagined how quickly major success would come.
A key factor has been the sheer joy Stephens has found in simply being able to play tennis again.
Murray said: “I think she has remained positive throughout the process. You get the game taken away from you and then you come back, you start to appreciate it more.
“She legitimately loves to play tennis. She would call me and she was all, ‘I can’t wait to get back on the court’. I was like, ‘Really? I’m enjoying my kids now, let me know when you can walk’.”
Stephens dealt with the inevitable nerves of a first Grand Slam final significantly better than Keys, her close friend and former junior rival, who was never able to settle into her game.
Murray said: “I was surprised. That’s a nerve-wracking experience to walk out there. But I thought she handled it well.
“To her credit she spoke up the night before and in the gym, ‘Wow guys, I’m a little nervous but let’s go do this’. I
You get the game taken away from you then you start to appreciate it more KAMAU MURRAY
think her evolution as a person is to communicate very clearly and honestly.”
Now the 24-year-old must deal with the inevitable attention and pressure that comes with being a Grand Slam champion.
Stephens had a taste of it four years ago when she defeated Serena Williams to reach the last four in Melbourne.
She has also been through a lot in her young life, including the deaths of both her father and stepfather when she was a teenager.
Stephens said: “A lot of life has happened, a lot of good things and bad things have happened.
“Every time you do something big it’s going to be different so I’m sure now that I’ve won a Grand Slam things are going to be way different than making the semi-finals like I did before.
“I’m ready and prepared and I think my team and everyone around is excited.
“I’m not going to change much. I’m going to try and keep everything like I have before.
“Obviously there’s going to be more responsibilities and a lot of other things I have to do.
“There’s always going to be struggles. I’m adding a lot more to my life.
“I’m sure there will be some ups and downs and some tough times. I’m actually looking forward to it. It will be challenging but super fun.” BRAEHEAD CLAN last night won the Scottish Elite Cup with a 3-1 victory over arch-rivals Fife Flyers at Murrayfield.
Goals from Brendan Brooks, Landon Oslanski and Craig Peacock in the first two periods saw the Gardiner Conference champions seal a second trophy this year.
Six Clan players and five from Fife were put in the sin bin after several mass brawls in the third period of this fiery clash.
Ian Young gave the Flyers hope when he grabbed a goal back with 13 minutes left and although they withdrew goaltender Andy Iles to give themselves six skaters they couldn’t add to their total.
Edinburgh Capitals beat Dundee Stars 3-0 to earn a third-placed finish in the play-off thanks to goals from Mike Cazzola, Sergei Banashkov and Mike D’Orazio.