Can Sloane Stephens maintain success despite multiple challenges?
It was Day 3 of the Brisbane International this year. Sloane Stephens goes to her bench at break time to talk to her coach. But it wasn't Kamau Murray who's normally there. This time it was Sylvester Black, a former Jamaican Davis Cup captain who was substituting. Stephens had known Black for years and he'd served as her advisor on many occasions. She was being continuously asked about the new face on her team and had said that "Everyone is still around, like I said, Kamau and I needed a break, we're in a great space. I surround myself with people here that I have known for a long time that I'm comfortable with..." She was playing opposite Britain's Johanna Konta and maybe it was the heat or the pressure of Konta's game, but the Brit had won the opening round in straight sets off of Stephens at 6-4, 6-3.
The 2017 U.S. Open champ took the change of coach mildly and focused more on the match when asked questions on her playing performance saying "The first match of the year is never easy." But the Sydney International didn't prove to be a better result as Stephens fell to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in the second round in three sets with the decider being a bagel of 0-6.
The first grand slam of the season - the Australian Open proved a test to Stephens as she did well in her opening round against Taylor Townsend winning 6-4, 6-2. She felt rather accomplished in starting the first round on a positive for it was Townsend who came on aggressive from the start, bashing and volleying her way to win many games off of Stephens trying to dismantle her game. But it was Stephens who stayed focused and broke Townsend time after time. "It's always tough playing against a fellow compatriot. She plays totally different than some of the girls. the key was 'patience', " Stephens had said. She had gained momentum in the next round and defeated Timea Babos of Hungary 6-3, 6-1 proving she was getting her groove back with consistency and confidence. But the third round wasn't the charm as Stephens did take the opening set victory of the tiebreak but was slammed by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the following two sets.
Competition is tough and many attributed Stephens faltering performances due to her regular coach Kamau Murray not being present on the sidelines or in the stands. It was common knowledge that Murray was developing a tennis academy in Chicago, the XS Tennis and Education Foundation which serves youth with combining after school programs of athletic and academic levels. But it seemed to have made the difference with Murray missing in the equation on Stephens' court play. He had started his regime with Stephens in 2015 and has seen her through three WTA titles in the first half of 2016, recovery from a foot injury, winning the 2017 U.S. Open. She later was awarded the WTA Comeback Player of the Year, won Miami and reached the 2018 French Open final. She was now in the top 10 for the first time and was runner-up at the WTA Finals in Singapore.
A few weeks later Monica Puig had announced that Kamau Murray was to be the head of her coaching team. In fact, Puig had also gained Stephens' former hitting partner Othmane 'Coach OG' Garma. Puig's ranking now is no. 59 and is looking forward to sparking up her game this 2019 season or even capturing a title, which she hasn't had since three years ago winning at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil against Angelique Kerber.
Sloane Stephens will have to draw from her experience on the court to lead her through to more victories in the 2019 season and to start she has returned to the IMG/WME agency as her management company again. She had formerly signed with IMG in 2016, only keeping the management team for a year then returned to John Tobias/Lagardere in her junior years at tennis.
Whatever tournament Sloane Stephens decides to enter next, it will be her time to get into gear and adjust herself into the winning ways she has produced in the past. No matter the coaching or management shuffle, Stephens has proven time and again that she is resilient at any level she gets in. Fans and the tennis community will be watching when she appears in the Volvo Car Open on Daniel Island by the end of next March for an exciting and entertaining play that only Sloane Stephens can give.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2BBQ7lT
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