A Day in the Life: US Open Champ Sloane Stephens Shares Her Training and Self-Care Secrets
Courtesy of Sloane Stephens
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The US Open is upon us! The storied tennis tournament, held annually in Queens, NY, is the final Grand Slam of the year (aka the four most important professional tennis tourneys including the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon) and traditionally begins on the last Monday of August.
To celebrate the occasion, SHAPE caught up with 2017 champ Sloane Stephens to find out why the Open is always a memorable stop on the busy Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour (the schedule for which runs eleven months of the year, from January through November), what a typical day is like at the tournament for players, and the keys to her self-care.
"The fans in New York are absolutely incredible — they’re super knowledgeable about tennis and very passionate," says Stephens, 30. "There are so many opportunities to interact with the fans on site or when walking around the city, and the entire environment just feels supercharged by their excitement. It always feels great to play in front of a home crowd and the level of support American tennis players receive from the fans in New York is incredible. The US Open is really special to me because I won it back in 2017. A lot of my family and friends make the trip out and it’s something we look forward to all year."
Courtesy of Sloane Stephens
14 years into her professional career Stephens, who turned pro in 2009 at age 16, says the key to her success isn't all that different from how the rest of us non-professional athletes train or think about our training: "Listening to your body is one of the most important things you can do — being an athlete or not," says the California and Florida-raised phenom. "Being an athlete, it's crucial that I’m in tune with what my body is telling me and what it needs. It’s definitely tough to accept being hurt or needing a break, but it’s SO necessary."
"Listening to your body is one of the most important things you can do — being an athlete or not."
In-between her training and tournaments, Stephens juggles her work with the Sloane Stephens Foundation, which benefits thousands of underserved youth nationwide via annual educational and tennis programs, serving as a representative on the WTA Players Council, and being an ambassador for FP Movement athletic apparel. She makes the most of any down time, spending it with family, friends, and her husband, soccer star Jozy Altidore.
How does she stay grounded and present with so many high-profile and demanding jobs and projects? Hint: Modesty. "I’m lucky to be surrounded by my family, my husband, and a great team that supports me," she says.
Here, Stephens shares what a typical tournament day is like for her during the Open, the most important aspects of her routines and training, along with her favorite aspects of self-care like sweet and savory treats, feel-good entertainment, and more.
Stephens' US Open Diary
"Honestly, there is no typical day in New York," she admits. "It all depends on the order of play, which is only released the night before. I think that’s something that a casual sports fan might not necessarily appreciate about tennis. Unlike other pro sports, tennis players usually only know their match schedule under 24 hours before, so it’s really important to be flexible and able to stay calm and adapt to being able to start and stop your routine at any moment, based on the weather or duration of the matches preceding yours."
If she has an afternoon match, for example, the day might go something like this:
8am - Wake up, head down for hotel breakfast. I like to start the day with some scrambled eggs for protein and then some good french toast or pancakes.
9:30am - I’ll head downstairs and get into the tournament car with my team to travel from Manhattan to Queens. You never know what the traffic will be, but I budget about an hour for transport. If it’s a match day, I usually talk to my coach about the strategy the night before, so on the morning of the match I tend to stay pretty quiet and listen to music.
10:30am - Once we arrive on-site, I’ll head with my coach and physio to the gym to warm up —we’ll do some light cardio as well as some footwork and band work, and potentially some massage or muscle activation to get ready to go on court.
11am - We’ll head to the practice court and have a 20-30 minute warmup going through the key things that need to be done - serves, volleys, and any patterns or strategies that will be helpful for the specific match. The warmup is meant to start breaking a little sweat and get in the right flow for the match.
11:30am - I’ll head back to the locker room to shower, change into my match outfit, and have something to eat from the player cafeteria - usually some pasta and a piece of chicken. During this down time, my coach will closely monitor the progress of the matches preceding mine and identify when I should go warm up for the match. If we have a lot of down time, I usually will take a little nap or rest on the couch.
1pm - Match time
2:30pm - After the match, I’ll head to the gym to cool down and debrief with my coach. Depending on the timing of when my press conference and other media commitments are, I’ll either get a massage from my physio before that or after.
4pm - Once my commitments are completed, we’ll head back to the city.
7pm - After dropping my bags back at the hotel and having some downtime to FaceTime my family and catch up on work emails, we will walk down 5th Ave to Koreatown for dinner. I always go to the same spot and walk in on a mission. No need to give me a menu, I know exactly what we’re ordering!
8pm - I’ll grab a boba [tea] on my walk back up to The Langham, and call it a night. I’ll unwind with some Netflix and online shopping. Typically, you have one day off between matches at a Grand Slam, so tomorrow would likely be a practice day.
Courtesy of Sloane Stephens
Consistency, Hydration and Recovery Are Key
In addition to continually listening to her body, Stephens tries to maintain a similar training and rest schedule, no matter where in the world or varied conditions in which she is playing. "To the best of my ability, I try to keep my routine pretty consistent in every location and this helps me acclimate quicker to new timezones, temperatures, altitudes, etc." she says. "Some things are, of course, out of my control, but I try to stay grounded in my routines and daily habits to make the transitions as comfortable as possible."
"To the best of my ability, I try to keep my routine pretty consistent in every location... I try to stay grounded in my routines and daily habits to make the transitions as comfortable as possible."
Each aspect of that routine is important, especially playing the sport at such a high level, but if she had to pick the one element that is the most important? "Hydration! It’s the key to everything in life - skin, recovery, and overall health," says Stephens. "It’s so simple but makes the biggest difference in my daily life. With so many variables and changes each week in a different city, different plane, different hotel room - I know I can rely on myself to consistently hydrate and help my body function at its best."
Stephens also prioritizes her own recovery, which is something she and her husband, also a professional athlete, are both highly invested in. "Jozy and I bond over recovery routines because our recovery time at home is when we can unwind and enjoy each others company," she says. "He’s the device guy and I’m the product girl. He has all the equipment - everything from hyperbaric chambers to red light therapy and Normatec boots. I share with him all my self-care products - eye masks, face masks, ice rollers, the works. That makes us a pretty well-rounded recovery team."
Related: Your All-Inclusive Guide to Active Recovery
Game, Set, Match: Stephens' Winning Must-Haves
Favorite type of movement or exercise that is *not* training or tennis-related: Walking
Go-to pre and post-match fuel: Pre-match meal is typically some pasta with a lean protein like a chicken breast or piece of fish. Post-match snack is a Lemon Perfect and Quantum square.
Favorite type of sports bra or workout gear: FP Movement
Essential skincare item: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 70 Sunscreen Mist
Go-to hair product: Totally depends on how I’m wearing my hair. When I’m on the road for long periods of time, I favor protective styles like braids or the locs I have now.
Favorite makeup product: Fenty lip gloss
Favorite drugstore product: IcyHot PRO Patches
Product Splurge: La Mer Renewal Oil
Favorite sweet treat: Boba. I’ll usually go for a peach black tea with boba.
Favorite savory treat: Any and all Asian food. Korean BBQ and kimchi stew, sushi, hibachi, Thai, pho - you name it.
Signature scent: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum
Favorite TV series: I love all Shonda Rimes shows - Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte, everything she touches.
Song you've been playing on repeat: Apple Music Live: Burna Boy
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