For Sloane Stephens, the lead-up to the 2026 season felt like a crossroads. The former US Open champion, once ranked as high as world number 3 and a semifinalist in Melbourne (2013), had spent much of the past year in recovery (she played just 5 matches last year). A lingering foot injury kept her sidelined for seven months, and by the time she returned, she had fallen outside the Top 1000 in the WTA rankings. Her comeback felt uncertain, her rhythm missing, and her 13-match losing streak only fueled talk of a potential retirement.

But in Melbourne, something finally shifted – Sloane Stephens has returned to winning ways. The American broke her two-year drought with a composed and convincing 6-1, 7-5 victory over Czech player Barbora Palicova in the first round of Australian Open qualifying. It was her first win since Wimbledon 2024, and the relief was visible on her face as she sealed the final point.

For a player who knows the height of a Grand Slam glory, winning a qualifying match might sound small, but for Stephens, it meant everything. She dictated the opening set with confidence, using her trademark depth and power to break Palicova multiple times on the way to a dominant 6-1 start. The second set told a different story. Palicova fought harder, extended rallies, and forced Stephens to dig into her mental reserves. At 5-5, it could have swung either way, but Stephens steadied herself, tightened her margins, and closed out the match 7-5 with the kind of composure that had been missing throughout her long slump.

Sloane Stephens (currently ranked 897) had entered the tournament using a protected ranking, something she hadn’t needed since 2012. This win not only lifted her spirits but also the belief that her comeback still has life. Next up for her is Australia’s Olivia Gadecki. The Aussie currently has a 2-1 record against the American. Can Stephens pull yet another magical performance and get closer to securing her spot for the main event?

Well, if she manages to win her next match… well and good! However, if she fails, we may once again see retirement speculation making headlines soon. How does Sloane Stephens look at her tennis journey and all the wild speculations that pop up on social media time and again surrounding her retirement?

Sloane Stephens’ cold response to those calling on her to retire

Sloane Stephens turned pro in 2009, and over these 17 years of professional tennis, she has won 8 singles titles and 1 doubles title. Other than winning the US Open in 2017, Stephens reached the final of the French Open in 2018. Last year, during a conversation on the ‘She’s So Lucky’ podcast, Stephens made an honest admission about her tennis journey.

“The tennis journey is a… it’s a very emotional roller coaster. As a pro, I’ve always just been like, focus on controlling the controllable on the court…I’ve been playing professional tennis for 15 years, and I don’t think I’ve ever been too high or too low. You just have to like tap into those parts that make you wanna compete harder…. I firmly believe that if you are not rowing in that direction, you have to get off the boat now.”

Stephens has seen a lot of ups and downs in her career. Do her lows ever push her to think about retirement? Well, before the start of the 2025 season, Sloane Stephens made a very interesting statement. She said that she doesn’t know how much longer she’s going to play. So, all she now wants is to enjoy and have a good time on the court.

However, amid all the speculations about her retirement following every setback, Stephens sent a clear message. “People don’t have any filter. They also don’t realize that you’re another human being. They would never say it to your face. It actually prohibits people from putting their lives out there because they don’t want to be judged. It’s all about what the athlete can handle, right? ‘You should retire?’ I’m like, ‘If these people are still paying me, I’m not going.’ I think people don’t realize, if someone were paying you a lot of money, you wouldn’t quit your job. You wouldn’t leave your job.”

Sloane Stephens wants to leave the game as more than just a player. “Tennis has given me so much opportunity in my life, and in return, my true belief is that I owe it to myself to help others achieve dreams bigger than mine.” Now, it’ll be interesting to see if the 32-year-old can come out with an impressive run in Melbourne and inspire others once again to chase excellence, ignoring all the negativities. What are your predictions on this, though?

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