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BRISBANE INTERNATIONALJanuary 7, 2020Sloane StephensBrisbane, Queensland, Australia L. SAMSONOVA/S. Stephens 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 THE MODERATOR: First question. Q. How was your off-season and I guess how did you feel coming into this tournament? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, off-season was good. I was at home. It was, it went well, lots of good training. Excited to start the year. Obviously not the way I wanted to start it, but I mean, it could have been a lot worse, so something to build on. Q. What positives do you take from today? SLOANE STEPHENS: That I didn't lose like 0-0 and that I made a lot of balls on the court and I hit some aces, which I never do, so that was nice. Q. Are you more motivated to hit aces now because there's incentive to? SLOANE STEPHENS: Why is there incentive? Q. The fires? SLOANE STEPHENS: Oh, yeah, definitely. Q. Just speaking on your pre-season and kind of working with Kamau again and getting feedback together, did you feel like the pre-season for you -- did you guys do anything different than you did in the past or was it kind of the same type of pre-season that you normally have? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, kind of the same. We were in L.A. most of it. Yeah, it was kind of what we normally do, how we normally train, so obviously, times and things like that are a little bit different, how much I'm on court's a little bit different but generally it's the same. Q. And were you able to go through your pre-season injury-free, all that sort of stuff? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I've been fine. I took a lot of vacation, time off, and I was ready to come back. I had started fitness before I started playing tennis again and, just got to make sure the body is good. It's held up nicely, so hopefully that continues. Q. You've played this tournament a lot of times before. I'm curious what you make of the overhaul to it this year with the ATP Cup moving in. SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I think that, well, what do I think? I think that having an ATP Cup at the same place that you have a premier tournament for the women is a bit challenging. I think the practice has been a bit challenging. I think there's been a lot of challenges just because it's a new event, combined with the girls, whatever, there's definitely been some challenges. I think that when you're a No. 1 player in the world who is going to play on the side court, I don't think that that's great. I think that we just were not, it's, I think it's kind of a respect thing. We just weren't in the conversation to even be considered. It was what the ATP wanted, they got what they wanted, girls to the side, that's kind of how it always is. So I think, yeah, I think it's unfortunate, but we play and we do what we do and hopefully next year there will be some adjustments. Q. When you feel disrespected, who do you register that to? SLOANE STEPHENS: No, I don't feel disrespected personally. I think, obviously, business is business, that's, their priority was the ATP Cup. I just feel like in general there could have been some things done differently. Obviously I understand it's a huge event and they might not have any options, which I also understand. But at the same time, like I said, we're playing a premier here and when you have your, a lot of the girls in the top-10 that are playing here and they're all playing on side courts, like, it's not the greatest look, but I mean, you kind of just go with what they give you and, yeah. Q. You mentioned practice court challenges. I've heard a couple players talk about that. What have been the ones that you've encountered? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, it's like four on a court, just a lot of mixups and misunderstandings and things like that. Just normal stuff. But obviously everybody wants to practice when you come because you come from a far, you come from really far so you want to get on the court and practice. You're practicing four on the court, you practice with somebody you don't want to practice with, it's just a lot of, you know. Q. Did you have a four-on-four practice? SLOANE STEPHENS: Oh, I just didn't go, no. Q. You would rather not practice than do that. SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, because it's just a lot happening. Like, there's like, yeah, it's a lot. It's too much. Q. The WTA has called this a transition year of the tournament. Would you like to see things change for how things are handled next year? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I, like I said, there's things that can be done better. It's not like they're not trying. I think they're putting on a great event for what they have, and obviously to accommodate men and women, the people that they have. So I mean, it's not a knock on them at all. I just think that in the future, women, like, it should be equal. Like, the men shouldn't be such a priority that we kind of forget that like the No. 1 player in the world tomorrow is going to be playing on like, I don't even know what they're called. What are they? The shaded courts. Q. The shaded courts. SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah. Q. Noted. You're on the player council now. Is this something that you think should be a player council kind of discussion, change of status here? SLOANE STEPHENS: I think it's kind of a discussion for everyone. I think not just the player council. A lot of the players are, it's the same thing, we're all talking about the same thing, we're playing on the shaded courts, practice courts are a little bit tough, like it's just a lot going on, right? So I think not only for the player council, but for everyone else kind of coming together and understanding that this is probably not the way we want the event to be run and everything solely focused on the ATP Cup. So I think, yeah, going forward we'll probably have a lot of discussions on like how we can kind of neutralize it and make it a better, put the women in a better position. Q. Now that you're a voice of the people? SLOANE STEPHENS: Oh, totally. Q. Have you had more players coming to you to, treating you as a sounding box for issues and complaints and grievances and whatever else they may have? SLOANE STEPHENS: I think that there's just been a lot more dialog, a lot more communication within the players in general, so there's just a lot more questions being asked, a lot more just communication, which is good. Before, I didn't even know who my player rep was before, so I mean, we try to talk to whoever we can. I think it's changed a lot just because the girls that are on the council are very social, so that's also good. But, yeah, no one's come to me and said, oh, my God, this has happened, and like no, none of that has happened, not yet at least. Q. And last thing on that, I guess, what do you, what are your sort of priorities or agenda items for WTA player council this season, this decade as it begins? SLOANE STEPHENS: This decade. God, it's only a two-year term, right? Q. I'm sure you're running for re-election some day. SLOANE STEPHENS: Oh, yeah, totally (laughing). I think the most important thing is just kind of figuring out the little like logistical things that we have been looking towards the last couple of years. We're trying a lot of new things, like the four-minute warm up, things like that where it takes a lot of dialog to kind of push it forward, and then it actually happens. And then you try it and then you talk about it again and then you go to the book. Like, it's just a lot of like process. So I think that a lot of the little things that we have tried to push forward are going forward. We're getting trials, so I guess, for I think for the player council we're happy that we're getting to try new things and kind of figure out what works best for all the players. Q. Last thing. Speaking of trying to do things, would you like to see WTA come up with some event similar to ATP Cup? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, that would probably be very nice. Q. Or a mixed competition or something? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, it would probably be really nice. Considering that the men have like three or four Cups in like six months, that's a little bit tough. But I think it would be nice if we had a combined event or something. That would be kind of cool. Q. I'm just wondering, there's a few rule changes this year. One with the like Top-10, there's no longer the commitments of the Top-10. SLOANE STEPHENS: Thank God. Q. This is exactly what I was going to ask you. So that, and then also, just the withdrawal, a little bit more flexibility on withdrawals. What's your kind of reaction to both of those? And it sounds like you're pretty in support of at least the Top -- no longer having Top-10 commitments. SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, Top-10 commitments has been a little bit tough, and I think for the girls when you have a great year, you're not necessarily going to have another great year right behind it. That does not happen very often. I think the year that you play great you should definitely be rewarded for it, like, you shouldn't be rewarded after. No, like, you played great this year, great, good, here's your money, like, that's it, right? And then I also think that the withdrawals, I think there's a lot of people who withdraw just because they, it's hard on the body, it's hard traveling, it's hard being away from home, and I think being able to take that break without having to make up some random injury or illness or something that has nothing to do with nothing is. Q. And then we ask you about it? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah exactly, like, yeah, my toe's great. Like, no, we're not doing that anymore. So I think that that will end a lot of that. I think being able to say, like, I just needed a break, is a lot more healthy than trying to make up some random injury that you don't have. Q. And on that, I mean, as far as I know in the past when people have withdrawn, I've never seen like in parenthesis, basically, mental health. SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, or like personal reasons. Like, I think a lot of it is, like, I need a break, like, I've played too much, like I'm tired. Like, you can't put tired on the form. So I think being able to kind of just be like, you know, I'm just not going to play this week, I think it will help a lot of girls out just so they don't have that pressure of having to go or getting a fine or making up something or whatever. So I think that will help a lot of the girls. Q. Seems like you're enjoying this sort of leadership role. SLOANE STEPHENS: No, they actually are mad at me right now, so. Q. Why? SLOANE STEPHENS: Because the call was when I was in Hawaii and they were mad because I -- you don't remember that? The last council call, I was in Hawaii, and I had them on mute, and they were upset, because I was, like, with my grandparents. I was like eating dinner with my grandparents and I'm like listening in one ear, and I'm like, sorry, guys. Q. You were being inattentive, you're saying. SLOANE STEPHENS: It was three and a half hours. I'm like, come on. Like, I'm trying to help my mom. I'm like, oh, my God. So, I'm a little bit in trouble right now. But I, I enjoy it. Q. What is it like, you said it's a social group, it's a younger group on the council -- SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah. Q. -- compared to the previous group. What is the energy like in that room or on that conference call with all these young, social players? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I think it's good, I mean obviously we talk a lot, not just like on the conference call, like we're always having like discussions. Q. Do you have a group chat? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, we definitely have a group chat. We have two, actually, we have a WhatsApp one and an iMessage one, so, you know, but yeah, I think being able to just talk about everything and kind of like go over it before we get on the call so we all know what we want, we're on the same page, like I think we have kind of come together nicely on that, so that's been good. Obviously there's been like Kristie and Jo and Pav are already on it, so we kind just like take their lead on what's been happening and what they have been trying to do, so they have been really good with that, so yeah, so far it's been pretty cool. Q. What's the name of the group chat? SLOANE STEPHENS: There's no name. Maybe it's, the girl. I don't know what it is. Q. You got to have a name. SLOANE STEPHENS: I don't know. Maybe it's just called player council. Yeah, I think. I'm going to look now (laughing). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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