It’s a (grand) slam
Sloane Stephens rises from 957th ranking to win US Open
NEW YORK — Sloane Stephens’ remarkable rise from a world ranking of No 957 a month ago to US Open champion on Saturday began with the slow work of coming back from surgery on her left foot.
After being off tour for 11 months because of her injury, Stephens easily beat her close friend Madison Keys 6-3, 6-0 in the first Grand Slam final for both, becoming only the second unseeded woman to win the tournament in the Open era, which began in 1968.
“There are no words to describe how I got here — the process it took or anything like that,” Stephens said. “If you told someone this story, they’d be, like, ‘That’s insane.’”
After the operation in January, Stephens couldn’t walk for a month. It wasn’t until May that she returned to a tennis court — and even then she was off her feet, plopped on a wooden table at a practice facility at UCLA, aiming her racket at balls tossed by her coach, Kamau Murray.
From there, Murray said, Stephens progressed to sitting while rolling around on an armless office chair. Two weeks later, she finally was able to stand in place while working on her swing. Another two weeks, and she was allowed to move.
“It definitely was not fun for her,” Murray said on Saturday.
Nor was it all that fun to face a pal with so much at stake.
Stephens, 24, and Keys, 22, have known each other for about a decade, first as juniors, then on tour and as US Fed Cup and Olympic teammates.
They texted and spoke on the phone in January when both sat out the Australian Open because of injuries — Keys had surgery on her left wrist during the offseason, then again in June.
When Saturday’s final ended after only 61 minutes, with Stephens claiming the last eight games, they met at the net for a long hug .
While waiting for the trophy ceremony to begin, Stephens walked over and plopped herself down in a courtside chair next to Keys, so they could chat side-byside.
“Sloane is truly one of my favorite people and to get to play her was really special. Obviously, I didn’t play my best tennis today and I’m disappointed,” Keys said. “But Sloane, being the great friend that she is, was very supportive. And if there’s someone I have to lose to, I’m glad it’s her.”
They hammed it up afterward, too. When Stephens was presented with her $3.7 million winner’s check, she grabbed Keys’ arm, as if to stop herself from fainting at the sum.
“That’s a lot of money!” Stephens said. Keys eyed the check and teased, “I’ll hold it for you.”
Keys texted Murray a couple of days before the US Open began to arrange a practice session with Stephens. And the two finalists planned to party together on Saturday night.
“She can buy me drinks,” Keys said. “All of the drinks.”
This was only the second time in the Open era that two women were making their Grand Slam final debuts against each other in New York.
Keys acknowledged afterward it was all a bit much for her, and it showed: She wound up with 30 unforced errors.
“I definitely think my play today came down to nerves and all of that,” she said. “I just don’t think I handled the occasion perfectly.”
Stephens, meanwhile, only six unforced errors.
Told of that number by a reporter during her engaging media conference, filled with quips and smiles, Stephens slapped a palm on the table in front her, then snapped her fingers and said: “Shut the front door! I don’t think that’s ever made