Sloane Stephens Will Become the New Serena Williams

Written by: Resendiz on 23rd January 2013

Sloane Stephens Will Become the New Serena Williams

epa03552753 Sloane Stephens of the USA in action during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the women's singles semifinals of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 24 January 2013. EPA/JOE CASTRO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Sloane Stephens just upset 5-time Australian Open winner Serena Williams in a 3-set battle in the quarterfinals down under. Yet her reaction wasn’t priceless, it was almost like she expected it. See, one of the key things that Sloane has acquired in her youth is a great sense of self-belief, and like her idol Serena, it is showcased during the most pressure-filled moments on court.

When most players crumble with self-doubt or an inevitable tightening of muscles, these women flourish when it’s all on the line. It’s one of the reasons Serena has become a worldwide phenomenon for over a decade. True champions don’t shy away from the fear that clouds the path to victory and greatness.

I had a chance to witness this first hand when I practiced with Sloane Stephens and her coach David Nainkin back in November. She was coming off of her abdominal strain but looked to be getting fitter with each day of practice. Most of the pleasantries were missed because a lot of focus was being given to the fact Sloane had just “made” Vogue again.

Okay, she’s 19 years old, so making Vogue magazine is a pretty big deal. But I do remember vividly, “Hey this kid has a bit of diva in her”. Sound like her idol at all? So now I suppose she has two key qualities that Serena also possesses. Anyway, all that aside, I noticed during our practice how driven and confident Sloane was. At one point, David commanded me to try overpower Sloane. In 20 years on the court, I’d never received that kind of request when hitting with a woman. But going through the drill, Sloane was determined to win all of those rallies, swing faster, harder, and try to out-bully me. This kind of ‘tude translates into matches and with her abilities, Sloane becomes a force to be reckoned with, as Serena found out.

Sloane faces Vika Azarenka next, a fiery spirit with a happy-go-lucky disposition to match. These two could produce a memorable 3-setter because neither is known for backing down when the going gets tough. It’ll be a good match and one to look for to see if Sloane can produce another consistent result. One thing is for sure, both players will be feeling the pressure to perform, who will fight past it and begin to rifle their groundstrokes the earliest?

Topics: Australian Open, David Nainkin, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Vika Azarenka