Sloane Stephens to wed: Will one destiny end and another begin?
"She is somebody who gets everything I am going through without having to say anything," Jozy Altidore, Stephens' fiance had said in an interview with the USA Today media. He was explaining how much Stephens can analyze and understand his feelings and instincts. They were childhood friends who met at the IMG Academy. He, for soccer and she for tennis. Sloane Stephens and Jozy Altidore started dating at the beginning of 2016 and both have made major accomplishments with their career since then. Stephens has won her first grand slam, the 2017 U.S. Open which elevated her ranking back then to no. 3 in the world. Altidore has been successful at playing major soccer with the Toronto FC.
Stephens will be reaching another pinnacle just like her tennis comrades have done before her, with 'tieing the knot', with perhaps retiring and having children. Flavia Pennetta might have been the latest with marrying a fellow player, Fabio Fognini retiring and having little Federico. Serena Williams marrying the co-founder of Reddit social media Alexis Ohanian and having Olympia. There's Tatjana Maria who is coached by her husband and has daughter Charlotte as well as Kateryna Bondarenko having her daughter Karin in May of 2013 and her husband, Denis Volodko for her coach. The list goes on and on even with a decade ago, Kim Clijsters celebrating her 2009 U.S. Open title with daughter Jada. "I would like to see more facilities to help us...it's easier for men because their wives can stay with their children and watch them play," Bondarenko told The Telegraph media. Li Na was married and played for years before deciding to retire, basically because of chronic ailments and then had two children.
When Stephens weds and remains on tour (without starting a family) she will be cutting out a new chapter for women tennis players that married without having children. It may be new, different and without the added activities of being on tour and taking the child or children with them. Czech player Karolina Pliskova is one player married without children. There is also former player now retired Aga Radwanska who got married and didn't have children. Time will tell when Stephens weds if she'll continue on tour and perhaps earn a few more titles with or without having a family. Fans and the tennis community will be glad to have enjoyed the contribution she's done throughout the years and maybe more years to come.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2VCi4Fr
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