THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 28, 2021

Sloane Stephens

Press Conference

S. STEPHENS/P. Kvitova

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was a very good win for you. How good were you feeling out there? How much is that translating from positive vibes you had in Paris for a lot of that tournament, or is there a new level you think you couldn't do here?

SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I think when you're finding your game and trying to work your way back, I think a lot of it is just being positive and knowing that you've been at a certain level before and trying to get back there. I think for me the biggest thing was feeling good on the court, feeling like I'm competing like I'm in matches.

Then obviously today, after French, I felt good. I felt like I was competing better. Even though obviously it didn't end the way I wanted it to, I was just feeling more like myself on court.

Then coming into here, same thing, like, trying to take that confidence and translate it into good form and good tennis. Obviously playing against Petra, you have to bring your A game. I thought I played really well today. I'm just trying to keep the momentum going, trying to find that, like, good, consistent level again.

Q. I read your conversation with Madison on the Nike thing between you guys, and there was an interesting part where you're saying the perspective you have now about going on losing streaks but then not dwelling on that and knowing that you can get back to your best again. Do you mind sharing a little bit how you reached that mentality of accepting these kinds of highs and lows that are typical of a tennis career? Do you now not panic at all when you're on a losing streak and you know it's just going to come?

SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I mean, there's definitely panic when you're on a losing streak. I will say that. It's definitely, like, I have to change this, my racquet is not right, I need different shoes, I need a new coach. There is all of those things that creep obviously into your mind.

But I think for tennis, it's so one week you could be pretty average and basic, and the next week you could be like quartering, semi-ing a Grand Slam and your whole world changes.

I think kind of just having that perspective of, like, at any moment it could change and go the other way and life could be totally different. It's happened to me more than a few times in my tennis career, so you just have to be prepared.

I think it's hard, unless you experience it, it's hard to explain to someone else. You know, like I feel like myself, Maddie, I could name a ton of people I know who have gone through it. It's, like, Wow, everything was pretty average, and then all of a sudden your whole tennis career changes. The perspective of your game and the expectation, like, everything changes.

Yeah, like I said, it's hard to explain if you haven't gone through it, because if you're in the before stage, you kind of are, like, Mmm, is that really going to happen? Will that ever happen in my career?

And for players that it does happen to, it's cool, it's special, it's an experience, and it's also very traumatizing, so you have to be ready. I think that, you know, just being able to take the good with the bad is very -- it's difficult, but just, as is life, you have to just kind of take it and work with what you've got.

Q. The match before yours was Djokovic getting the first match on Centre Court, which they always do at Wimbledon for men's champions on the Monday. Court assignments, would you like to see the men and women's champions get to alternate that honor of being first on at day one at Wimbledon, which Djokovic said he was open to? And from a WTA player council perspective, how much are court assignments still a priority for the women? What are the things council is looking for, or yourself personally, in terms of quality of these combined tournaments?

SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I think every tournament can do better to -- you know, there has been a lot of traditions at tournaments. Obviously Wimbledon is very special and we know the rule, that the men champion or whatever plays the first Monday, which is great.

Like, it's just something that's always happened at Wimbledon, and I understand, you know, we all understand times have changed.

You know, the whole thing about equality and having -- maybe it not be so men-driven, like, oh, the man gets to go first. When you think about it and break it down like that, it's a little bit different, but I think we have so many other things that should be prioritized than the court assignment.

I could go on and on for days about that, but I think that's just like a small steppingstone to, you know, equal prize money and, you know, more women playing on center court. Not at this tournament, just in general, like being able to split the night matches and things like that at every tournament.

There are so many things that could trump this one, but I think mostly for me as a player council member, prize money is obviously very high up there, getting all the Grand Slams to get on board with having a good partnership.

I think it's going to take time. It's not going to happen overnight obviously, but we are working and doing the best we can to make sure that all of our players are spoken for and they have a voice and a seat at the table. That's all we can really do right now.

We obviously all have jobs and we all are playing tennis, so this is, like, I tell Maddie all the time, This is our second job, like I need a cellphone for my player council role.

We do the best we can, and, yeah, trying to be the best voice for our player group. That's all we can do.

Q. Obviously in terms of grass, it's been two years, hasn't it, since you last played. How much belief and confidence with a result like this against such a good player give you going into the rest of the tournament?

SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, obviously it's a great build, a great first match. Obviously grass or not, obviously wanting to get a good win like this is really important. I think not only for this tournament but going into the rest of the season, for me it's pretty big. Excited to have a good win here and hopefully continue to play some good tennis.

Q. Just following up, in terms of equal prize money being a priority (indiscernible) your Romes and Cincinnati? What do you mean by...

SLOANE STEPHENS: Wait. I didn't hear. What was the first part of your question?

Q. I was trying to follow up with what you said in my last question where you were talking about other priorities besides court scheduling. You mentioned prize money. Equal prize money at tournaments that don't still have it, like Rome and Cincinnati, or what you meant there?

SLOANE STEPHENS: Every tournament should have equal prize money. That is definitely a priority I think as a player group for every tournament to have equal prize money.

We obviously understand why they don't, but I think it's obviously a work in progress to how we get there. We just have to keep having these conversations and being open and trying to get more transparency out of tournaments and slams. That's what we are doing.

Q. This match particularly, what were you able to do in this match today to beat Petra? What were the keys to sort of tactically, technically, whatever, to winning this match as convincingly as you did?

SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, obviously I haven't played on grass in two years. This is my first match back. I think for me it was more of just executing my game. I knew I needed to serve well and return well.

Obviously a lefty on grass is like your worst nightmare. So I was super prepared to be diving for balls on the return, but I knew that I had to fight for every ball and make sure that I got my racquet on a lot of those balls.

I did that super well today. Instead of being super passive, I was super aggressive on the returns. I was trying to make her play and be on her back foot. Obviously she likes to play super aggressive and inside the court. I knew I needed to play first-ball tennis, and I did that pretty well today, which is good.