After winning the U.S. Open to become the first American, male or female, other than the Williams sisters to capture a Grand Slam title in the past 14 years, Sloane Stephens earned an ESPY nomination for Best Breakthrough Athlete. Stephens didn't win -- the honor went to NBA dunk champion Donovan Mitchell -- but the point was made. Stephens had crossed over from worthy competitor to big-time star.
How big? Consider that in advance of her title defense at the U.S. Open, which starts Monday, Stephens has been profiled in high-end, non-sports outlets such as The New Yorker and Vogue.
"Obviously as defending champion, it's not easy," Stephens says. "There will be a lot of pressure, a lot of nerves. But I'm just really looking forward to getting back there and playing on center court."
The road back to Flushing Meadows has been bumpy. Stephens lost eight consecutive matches after beating Madison Keys in the U.S. Open final. Then she won the Miami Open, reached the final of the French Open (losing to Simona Halep in three sets) but exited in the first round at Wimbledon.
Along the way, though, Stephens found some time to enjoy some of her favorites things. Check out the video above for details.
