"It's great to be No.1, but I wouldn't want that job" - Sloane Stephens on tennis players having different aspirations

Although being recognized as the best player in the world comes with its advantages, American tennis star Sloane Stephens is of the opinion that not every tennis player has those aspirations after turning pro.

The Florida native turned pro in 2009, and did her dues on the WTA circuit before her breakthrough arrived in 2017. Stephens won her maiden Grand Slam that year at the US Open, and would finish runner-up at the 2018 French Open and year-ending WTA Finals.

In an interview with The Tennis Insider Club, the former World No.3 stated there are different types of players who compete on the ATP and WTA Tour. While a few like Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek aspire to be the best and dominate their respective circuits, several others would rather avoid the stress associated with that position.

"There’s nothing wrong with not being Novak Djokovic, not everyone can be the World No.1," said Stephens. "In our case, I believe that Iga Swiatek is an amazing player, it’s great to be No. 1, but I wouldn’t want that job. There are certain people who do aspire to that, and precisely this is what makes tennis such a unique sport.
"Obviously, tennis also involves traveling many weeks for everything in the day-to-day is very hectic, which can make everything complicated and stressful. Every week, there are many adversities that people don’t see."