Sloane Stephens says the next generation of Black tennis players has more visible role models than ever, and she believes that matters for who picks up the sport in the first place.
Stephens, who has spent more than a decade on the WTA Tour, said players like Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Coco Gauff and Taylor Townsend are helping make tennis feel more reachable for young Black girls. She pointed to the impact of seeing those players on TV and said that kind of representation can be especially powerful in a sport that is both expensive and difficult to enter.
"I think it’s interesting because there are not that many African American women. Playing the sport of tennis and being one of the few who have been able to make an impact in my sport has been incredibly special, but I think more kids now play tennis because of Venus, Serena, Coco, and Taylor Townsend. I think that’s the coolest part of representation, where you can relate to someone," Stephens said.
She added that young Black girls now have "strong role models to look up to" and faces to see on TV that look like them, something she called "incredibly special and important."
That perspective comes from a player who has seen the sport evolve firsthand. Stephens won the US Open with a protected ranking after a foot injury, then reached the WTA Finals final in 2018, where she lost to Elina Svitolina, and followed that by reaching the Roland Garros final the next year, where she lost to Simona Halep. She is also preparing for a return to home soil in the Memphis Open after qualifying for Roland Garros and losing in the first round.
Education and tennis have both remained central for Stephens
Stephens also said education is a major part of her life and noted that she is currently pursuing a doctorate. For her, that balance is part of the bigger picture of life as a professional athlete, even as she continues to compete on the WTA Tour.
She said the current moment in tennis feels important because of a changing of the guard, while also seeing the original stars still involved in the sport. Stephens mentioned Serena Williams as part of that picture and called it another example of resilience when a player follows where her heart is pulling her.
For Stephens, the takeaway is simple: representation can change who believes tennis is for them. And if more young girls can look at players like Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Coco Gauff and Taylor Townsend and see themselves reflected back, she believes that can help shape the sport’s future.
