Sloane Stephens: Tennis' Rising Star
The 20-year-old has been hailed as "the next big thing.”
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The Next Big Thing - Sloane Stephens has been called the next big thing in women's tennis. On Tuesday, the 20-year-old was the last American eliminated from the Wimbledon Championships (she was bested by Marion Bartoli in the quarterfinals), following Serena Williams' exit the day before. As she carries on the torch for the next generation of African-American tennis stars, BET.com takes a closer look at her accomplishments so far. — Britt Middleton (Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Early Life - Sloane Stephens was born in Plantation, Florida, on March 20, 1993. At age 9, her mother introduced her to tennis. She soon entered the junior Grand Slam competitive circuit. (Photo: C.W. Griffin/Miami Herald/MCT/Landov)
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Athletics Run in the Family - Her father, John Stephens, was a former NFL running back, most notably playing for the New England Patriots between 1988 and 1992. Her mother Sybil Smith, was formerly a swimming star at Brown University. (Photos from Left to Right: George Rose/Getty Images, Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Breaking In - Most notably, she and teammate Mallory Burdette won runner-up in the 2008 Junior U.S. Open doubles competition. Stephens then won the doubles title with partner Tímea Babos at the 2010 Junior Wimbledon Championship. (Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Going Pro and Tragedy - Between 2008 and 2009, Stephens built up her chops by competing on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Women's Tennis Association circuit. Both years she competed in qualifying rounds for the U.S. Open, but was eliminated in early matches. While she kept busy professionally, Stephens was forced to deal with tragedy in September 2009 when her father, with whom she had an estranged relationship, died in a car accident. (Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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