Sloane Stephens shares adjustments for Australian Open: “Today was the first time I tried it”

Sloane Stephens, former World No. 3, has shared insights on the adjustments she's made to her game in preparation for the 2025 Australian Open. This week, Stephens participated in an exhibition match against Madison Keys in Charlotte, rekindling the rivalry from their 2017 US Open final, where Stephens secured her maiden Grand Slam title. The event served as a warm-up before the marquee match between Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe.

The American veteran, now 31 years old, is gearing up for her 16th season as a professional. While she hasn’t returned to the consistency of her peak years between 2017 and 2019, Stephens remains a staple in the draws of major tournaments.

Stephens' career highlights include her 2017 US Open triumph, her sole Grand Slam title to date, and runner-up finishes at the 2018 French Open (losing to Simona Halep) and the 2018 WTA Finals (losing to Elina Svitolina). She has impressively ended 13 consecutive seasons within the top 100 rankings, including 10 inside the top 40.

In last week’s Charlotte exhibition, Madison Keys avenged her 2017 US Open loss by defeating Stephens 7-5, 6-3. Despite the loss, Stephens relished the opportunity to face her close friend again. “Yeah, super fun,” Stephens said. “Obviously, being able to play with Maddie is always super fun and playing in front of a crowd like this.”

She also revealed a significant change in her serve. “We actually both changed our serve, so today was the first time that I played with my new serve, I don’t know if anyone noticed. But I was very proud of my serve today. Maddie also changed her serve. We literally did a complete swap, and today was the first time that I tried it, so I was a little bit nervous."

“But playing in front of you guys was great, and it’s always nice to be able to try new things and practise, and obviously practise with Maddie. So yeah, it’s always great and this one was awesome.”

Stephens is now focused on starting the 2025 season, with her first challenge set at the WTA 250 Auckland Open. Her friend Madison Keys will headline the tournament as the top seed, alongside a star-studded draw featuring former Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, and Sofia Kenin.