Nobody saw Sloane Stephens coming. Honestly, if you’d placed a bet on her winning the title when the gates opened at Flushing Meadows that August, people would have looked at you like you’d lost your mind. She was ranked 83rd in the world. She’d spent the bulk of the year in a massive walking boot, recovering from foot surgery that kept her off the court for eleven months. She was hopping around on one leg at the Australian Open just months prior, watching the sport from the sidelines.
Then, the 2017 US Open happened.
It wasn't just a win; it was a statistical anomaly that turned into a cultural moment. We talk about "Cinderella stories" in sports constantly, but this felt different because it was so deeply personal and, frankly, unlikely. Stephens didn't just win a Grand Slam; she dismantled the narrative of what a comeback is supposed to look like. In the span of a few weeks, she jumped from being a "player with potential" to a global superstar with a $3.7 million check in her hand.
The Injury That Almost Ended It All
To understand why the 2017 US Open Stephens run matters, you have to look at the mess that was her 2016. She had a stress fracture in her left foot. That’s a death sentence for a counter-puncher whose entire game relies on explosive lateral movement.
She had surgery in January 2017.
When she finally returned to the tour at Wimbledon, she lost in the first round. She lost in the first round at Washington, D.C., too. Her ranking plummeted to world No. 957. Let that sink in for a second. Nearly four digits. Most players would have taken a wild card, lost a few matches, and called it a "building year." Sloane had other plans. She started finding her rhythm in Toronto and Cincinnati, making back-to-back semifinals. By the time she stepped onto the blue courts in Queens, the "rust" was gone, replaced by a terrifyingly efficient brand of tennis that looked effortless.
A Draw Full of Landmines
The 2017 US Open was weird from the start. Serena Williams was out because she was about to give birth to her daughter, Olympia. The vacuum at the top of the women’s game created this frantic, high-stakes energy. Suddenly, the trophy was up for grabs, and every seeded player knew it.
Stephens had to navigate a minefield.
She took down Dominika Cibulkova in a gritty three-set battle in the second round. She outlasted Julia Gorges. Then came the quarterfinal against Anastasija Sevastova. That match was a turning point. It wasn't pretty. It was a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4) grind. Sloane showed a level of mental fortitude that her critics—and she had plenty back then—said she lacked. She wasn't just hitting the ball; she was thinking three steps ahead.
The Venus Williams Showdown
If there is one match from the 2017 US Open that people still rewatch on YouTube late at night, it’s the semifinal against Venus Williams. It was the veteran vs. the comeback kid. Arthur Ashe Stadium was electric. Venus was having a massive year, having already reached the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
The third set was a masterpiece.
Sloane was down 4-5, two points away from losing the match. The crowd was pulling for Venus, the legend. But Stephens produced this incredible passing shot—a backhand down the line that seemed to defy physics—to stay alive. She won the final three games to take the match 6-1, 0-6, 7-5. After the match, she looked more shocked than anyone else in the building. That’s the thing about Sloane; her "chill" demeanor is her greatest weapon. While other players are screaming at their boxes, she’s just... there. Playing.
The Most Lopsided Final in Decades
The final was an all-American affair: Sloane Stephens vs. Madison Keys. They are best friends. They’ve grown up together in the USTA system. They’ve shared locker rooms, meals, and secrets.
It was supposed to be a battle. It was a blowout.
Stephens played what can only be described as "perfect" tennis. She committed only six unforced errors in the entire match. Six. In a Grand Slam final. That is statistically absurd. Madison Keys, who has some of the biggest weapons in the game, simply couldn't find a hole in Sloane's defense. The match ended 6-3, 6-0 in just 61 minutes.
The image of them hugging at the net after the final point is one of the most iconic photos in tennis history. It wasn't a "sorry I beat you" hug; it was a genuine moment of shared joy between two friends who had both overcome massive injuries to get there.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Win
There’s a common misconception that the 2017 US Open was a fluke because the draw "opened up." That's total nonsense.
Look at who she beat. She took down five players who had been or would be in the Top 10. She did it with a surgically repaired foot. She did it after a year of not playing. The "fluke" narrative usually comes from people who value raw power over court intelligence. Stephens won because she was the best mover on the tour that month. She turned defense into offense faster than anyone else.
Also, can we talk about the press conference?
When a reporter asked her if she was hungry for more titles, she gestured to the trophy and the massive check and basically said, "Did you see that check? I'm good." It was refreshing. She didn't give the canned, robotic athlete answers. She was real. She was human.
The Technical Brilliance of the Stephens Game
During that 2017 run, Sloane's forehand was a guided missile. She has this way of slapping the ball with immense topspin that makes it jump off the court. But it was her court coverage that frustrated opponents.
- The Slide: Most players slide on clay. Sloane slides on hard courts like it's ice. This allows her to reset her feet faster than her opponents.
- The Counter-Punch: She doesn't just return the ball; she places it deep in the corners, forcing the opponent to hit on the run.
- The Serve: While not the fastest, her placement in 2017 was surgical. She was hitting the "T" with incredible consistency.
Why 2017 Still Matters Today
The 2017 US Open marked a shift in American tennis. It proved there was life after the Williams sisters' absolute dominance. It paved the way for the likes of Coco Gauff and Sofia Kenin to believe they could win big titles early.
Stephens showed that you don't have to be a "tennis parent" creation to win. You can be someone who likes life outside of tennis, who has a personality, and who can come back from the brink of career-ending surgery to reach the pinnacle.
The Aftermath and Legacy
Sloane went on to reach world No. 3. She won Miami the following year and reached the final of the French Open. While her career has had its ups and downs since then—typical of the parity in the WTA—her 2017 run remains the gold standard for "peaking at the right time."
She proved that rankings are just numbers. Going from No. 957 to No. 17 in five weeks is the kind of stuff they make movies about.
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Actionable Insights for Tennis Fans and Players:
- Footwork is King: If you're looking to improve your game, watch Sloane's 2017 footwork. Notice how she never stops moving her feet, even when she's waiting for a return.
- Mental Reset: Notice how she handled the 0-6 set against Venus. She didn't panic. She went back to basics in the third. In your own matches, treat every set as a new match.
- Recovery Matters: Sloane's win is a testament to proper rehabilitation. Never rush back from an injury. If she had returned two months earlier, she might have re-injured the foot and never won the Open.
- Selective Aggression: You don't have to hit a winner on every ball. Sloane won by making fewer mistakes (6 errors in a final!) rather than hitting more winners. Let your opponent beat themselves.
The 2017 US Open Stephens victory wasn't just a tournament win; it was a masterclass in resilience. It’s a reminder that in sports, as in life, the comeback is often much stronger than the setback. If you ever feel like you're too far behind to catch up, just remember the woman who was ranked nearly 1000th and ended the summer holding the biggest trophy in New York.