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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2019

Sloane Stephens

Wimbledon, London, England

S. STEPHENS/Y. Wang

6-0, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Pretty dominant performance. How good did you feel out there? How good did your game feel?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I thought I played a good, solid match obviously from the beginning. So I was happy with that. I felt like I executed my game plan well, and that's all you can really do. I was just happy to get a good win today.

Q. Where would you put your comfort level on grass compared to the other surfaces?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Well, obviously grass hasn't been my best surface, so just come and try to give myself the best opportunity to win some matches and get going and get some confidence on it is pretty good. I'm happy with that.

Like I said, it hasn't been my best surface, so trying to get out in Eastbourne and get a match in and then come here a little bit more prepared than I was last year is steps in the right direction.

Q. You obviously have your soccer connection now. I'm curious how much women's World Cup you follow.
SLOANE STEPHENS: I have been watching it. I mean, obviously it's not like I'm so busy here that I have a lot of other things to do. I have definitely been keeping up. Obviously with the World Cup and then the men's, the Gold Cup, between my two soccers, I'm fully booked.

Q. Are you enjoying two soccers?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah. It's a lot. It's a lot. It's very time-consuming, but like I said, my days aren't that full, so...

Yeah, it hasn't been too bad. It's very interesting.

Q. You'll be up against your coach in the final, no?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, US is playing Netherlands. Yeah, so that will be good. Obviously US is going to win, but I haven't told him.

Q. Trash talk?
SLOANE STEPHENS: No, I just haven't told him that yet. He's very sensitive about those things. We will just wait until the end.

Q. A couple of days ago Naomi was in the other room and looked really upset about her loss and talked about how it's been a bit of a struggle dealing with everything. I'm wondering for you, when you had your breakthrough, how did it feel after? And how did you get out of whatever you were feeling after?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I think there is obviously a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations, and you put pressure on yourself because you want to do well and you want to live up to whatever it is that everyone is writing about and talking about.

I think that takes a lot, a lot, a lot of energy. I think sometimes people forget that tennis is "the" No. 1 priority, and for you to have the results you want and to keep that level, you have to continue to keep your tennis first.

I think sometimes that becomes secondary when you have a lot of other things going on. At least that's how it was for me. I just was tired. Sometimes you get overworked and overwhelmed. It can happen, but I think just kind of finding that right balance and kind of just reprioritizing everything, it helped with me.

Obviously with her, she'll find whatever it is the correct balance is for her, but obviously her results and what she's done in the last year or so have been incredible. I think that's really, really awesome. But I think she needs to probably take care of herself a little bit better so she can feel better.

Q. Speaking of kind of putting a lot of pressure on yourself to succeed, obviously Cori Gauff has been a phenomenon back home. Would you have any words of advice for her, or have you followed her kind of mania lately?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah. I mean, obviously it happens every once in a while we have someone who has an amazing result. It's impressive. I think she's a kid, and she needs to be a kid.

Like I said, it's very overwhelming at times. A lot of things happen, and tennis becomes secondary. I think she's having obviously the time of her life playing at Wimbledon and Court 1 and beating Venus and all of these things, which is incredible.

But I think she's also 15, she's also a human, and she's a kid. She falls under that age eligibility rule, and that's a little bit tough. There are a lot of factors that go into that, but I think as long as she stays happy and is able to continue to play well, I think she'll be fine.

Q. You're a player, you have a very fluid sort of effortless-looking game sometimes. Sometimes that's led people criticizing you to say it doesn't always look like you're trying. I'm curious what you made of those criticisms over time just in general. And have you ever done anything to make it look like you're trying or if that's just how you are?
SLOANE STEPHENS: No (smiling). Yeah, no, I just -- no. I'm definitely trying, because if I'm -- yeah. Anyways, there is a lot to go into that whole conversation, but I think that it used to matter a lot what people wrote and what people said and what people talked about.

I think now I'm so old, I'm 26, I'm kind of, like, Okay, it doesn't matter. I have to come here after every match and have to talk to you guys and you have to write something about it and you have to tweet about it and all that stuff, which is fantastic. But at the end of the day, it's, like, you're not out there. Like, I'm the one playing. Like, I'm the one who has to live with whatever the result is, good or bad. I think there is a little bit too much emphasis on what people say and what people write and all of that.

So I think kind of putting that to the side and just realizing -- like, I'm really big about accountability and, like, holding yourself accountable for whatever it is that happened out there is really the only way -- like, you can judge yourself or whatever based on holding yourself accountable.

Q. What do you think it was about your style that made you get this knock?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I think I'm just very, like, relaxed in general. And I don't get, like, too excited or too down. I'm just very, like, neutral. And when I play, I'm very, like, neutral. When I practice, I'm neutral. In life, I'm just neutral.

I think there was not one day where I'm, like, Oh, I'm just going to be whatever. That's just how I am, and sorry I can't change it.

Q. I ask these questions today because I don't know if you heard, Bernard Tomic got a fine for 100% of his prize money, first round.
SLOANE STEPHENS: Oh, unfortunate.

Q. He played Tsonga and lost 2, 1, 4. And they took away 100% of his prize money because they thought he didn't give a full-enough effort. And he's somebody else who also plays that same sort of -- like, more than you.
SLOANE STEPHENS: Really? I was going to say, like, you compared me to him? That's really messed up, Bro.

Q. That maybe says how you feel, then. As someone who also plays a game that you can make it look easy, if it's fair for the tournament to then just effort from just how it looks or what? Because he didn't get any money here.
SLOANE STEPHENS: I could see if he lost 0, 0, 0, then that would be something. If he won four games...

Q. Seven games.
SLOANE STEPHENS: Well, he played a 6-4 set. It's not like -- I don't know. I didn't see it. I have no idea. Obviously that happened at the French Open, as well. That was with Tatishvili.

I think now if the tournaments are going to be their own judge and say, like, and they're going to do that, then -- hmm. I can't say I'm 100% onboard with that.

Q. Do you think it's a slippery slope?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I really do. I really, really do, because that's just not -- like, Tatishvili, I saw some of it, she lost 0-0. But she played Sakkari. She's not playing a scrub.

Q. She won 31 points in that match.
SLOANE STEPHENS: But still, it's not...

Q. I'm saying 31 is a lot for that score.
SLOANE STEPHENS: I am saying for losing 0-0, or...

Q. 0-1.
SLOANE STEPHENS: 0-1. I just don't know I can be down with that. I think that's a bit -- and the whole back story about her protected ranking and all that stuff, as well, like being forced to play basically or you lose it, there is a lot of that that goes into it.

Like you said, it's a very slippery slope, and when you start doing that and being the judge of what happens and how people earn a living, that's when it gets a little tricky.

Q. You might play Jo Konta in the next round. Is there anything in particular about her game that you have struggled with in the past? And what do you feel you need to do well to have a good chance against her?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, it's been a rough year with Jo Konta (smiling). Like I said, I've got to get her this time if I play her, obviously.

But she's a great player, so I'm just going to have to go out and try a new game plan, new style, try some different stuff and just compete.

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