In 2017, Sloane Stephens stood on top of the tennis world. Coming off nearly a year away from the sport due to foot surgery, she returned just two months before the US Open. Ranked No. 957, she stormed through the draw and stunned Madison Keys 6–3, 6–0 in a 61-minute final. Stephens became a Grand Slam champion—an achievement that, for many, defines a career. But what followed wasn’t a continued surge. 

Over the next several years, Stephens remained active on tour but failed to recapture that level of dominance. Aside from a French Open final appearance in 2018, she never again reached a Slam final. Her results dipped, her ranking fluctuated, and questions resurfaced—was the win a peak or a beginning?

That same tension—between triumph and everything that follows—has shaped other careers. Emma Raducanu, for example, was 18 when she won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, becoming the first player in history to do so without dropping a set. Since then, she has struggled with injuries, coaching instability, and has not claimed another title. Former WTA player Naomi Broady commented recently that British fans “kind of expected her to just continue to win Grand Slams”. In the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki admitted losing motivation after his 2011 championship: “I really had to fight to get it back and get the fun back” Stephens put language to that emotional aftermath in a Forbes interview published on July 16.

“When you work so hard for something and you finally achieve it, there is a what do I do now moment… When you go from such a high level and then try to recreate that, it’s hard.” She recalled being drained in the months following her win: “I was actually very tired because I hadn’t played in almost a year. I had been through so much, so being away and traveling for six weeks, I was literally exhausted.”

The physical toll overlapped with a psychological shift that’s often misunderstood. “The expectation is to continue to win. From a fan perspective, they don’t know what’s going on behind winning,” she said. “Some people’s lives completely change—you’re a superstar, there’s media, and so many things to do, so it’s more off-court things that affect you on court….It’s so hard to be like, I had the most incredible moment of my life, but I still have to push and be better. That was my biggest struggle.”

While her on-court journey has been a rollercoaster ride, Stephens has been an inspirational figure off it. It’s not just her racket, but good deeds that do the talking. Proof? A prestigious honor to recognize her efforts.

Sloane Stephens wins humanitarian award

At the 2025 ESPY Awards by ESPN, on July 16, Sloane Stephens received the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. She was recognized for her contributions through the Sloane Stephens Foundation.

The 32-year-old established her foundation with a sole objective of making tennis accessible, especially for children belonging to economically weaker families in Compton, California. So far, the foundation has helped over 15,000 students annually. It’s also spread in other regions, too, on a global level. Last year, it also teamed up with Hope for Haiti to build a soccer field and garden.

Reacting to her win at the ESPY Awards, Stephens wrote on Instagram, “This one means everything. I’ve been lucky to live my dream on the court, but the work we do through the @sloanestephensfoundation is my purpose.”

She added, “It’s for the kids who deserve to be seen, the ones who just need a safe place to grow, and the communities that shaped me. I know I was put here to do more than hit a tennis ball and while I’ve done that with pride, I’m most fulfilled by the impact we’re building beyond the game.” Well, that’s really a noble deed she’s doing. What do you think of Stephens’ off-court milestone? Let us know in the comments below.