Sloane Stephens has picked two young American tennis players who she believes will be next to emerge as breakout stars on the WTA tour. Stephens believes 21-year-old Alycia Parks and 20-year-old Katie Volynets, who are both currently ranked outside the WTA top 100, will have a “big year” on tour in 2023.
Parks is currently ranked No. 150 in the WTA rankings, while Volynets is ranked No. 112. Parks played the qualifying rounds of all four Grand Slams this season, but could not make it to either of the singles main draws. Meanwhile, Volynets made it through qualifying into the Australian Open main draw (lost R1) and also reached the second round of the French Open main draw. Volynets also played first-round matches at Wimbledon and the US Open last season.
During a Q&A session with her fans on social media, Sloane Stephens expressed great confidence in both Parks and Volynets ahead of the 2023 season.
“My two girls. Big year for them coming up. You heard it here first,” Stephens wrote on Instagram, responding to a fan’s question.
Parks, who made it to the main draw of the 2021 US Open, tied Venus Williams for the fastest serve ever recorded in the tournament’s history, clocking a 129mph serve in her first-round match.
In response to another question, Stephens also revealed that her wedding was her biggest highlight of 2022. Stephens and American soccer star Jozy Altidore tied the knot on New Year’s Day this year.
“Our wedding. 1-1-2022,” wrote Stephens alongside a wedding photo, when asked about her 2022 highlight.
Sloane Stephens shuts down fan who took a dig at her for losing to Caroline Garcia
A fan accused Sloane Stephens of costing them $5,000 on a betting site after her loss to Caroline Garcia last season. The match in question was at the 2021 Cincinnati Open, where Stephens lost in the first round in three sets.
The fan used Stephens’s Q&A session on Instagram on Saturday to call her out over the loss and asked her to send them the money lost. Stephens hit right back, informing the fan that they played a “stupid game” for a “stupid prize.”
“You choked against Caroline Garcia on August 17, 2021, and it cost me $5k. Hit my Venmo,” the fan wrote.
“Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes,” Stephens responded.
Stephens played just 35 singles matches on tour in 2022, winning 18 of them. She ended the season at No. 37 in the WTA rankings and won her only title at the WTA 250 tournament in Guadalajara in February.
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