Sloane Stephens: Tennis' Rising Star

The 20-year-old has been hailed as "the next big thing.”

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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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)

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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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)

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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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)

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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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)

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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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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Victory Ahead - In May 2011, Stephens won the $50,000 2011 Camparini Gioielli Cup, her first tournament win on the ITF circuit. She also made early appearances at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships and the U.S. Open. At age 18, she ended the year as the youngest player in the top 100, at no. 97.  (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)

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Victory Ahead - In May 2011, Stephens won the $50,000 2011 Camparini Gioielli Cup, her first tournament win on the ITF circuit. She also made early appearances at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships and the U.S. Open. At age 18, she ended the year as the youngest player in the top 100, at no. 97. (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)

Global Pursuits - In 2012, Stevens was eliminated in the second round of the Australian Open. She then traveled overseas for a number of competitions, including the French Open, where she was defeated in the fourth round by Australian Samantha Stosur. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

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Global Pursuits - In 2012, Stevens was eliminated in the second round of the Australian Open. She then traveled overseas for a number of competitions, including the French Open, where she was defeated in the fourth round by Australian Samantha Stosur. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

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Stephens vs. Williams - Stephens reached the quarterfinals of the 2013 Brisbane International, where she was eventually eliminated by Serena Williams. In the press, Stephens is often compared to the accomplished Williams, as they are both known for having a powerful style and vivacious personalities both on and off the court. (Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Sloane and Serena Squash Their Beef - After blasting Serena Williams for allegedly giving her the cold shoulder after she beat her in the Australian Open in January, tennis star Sloane Stephens took to Twitter on Wednesdays to call a truce. "Guilty of being naive. Much respect 4 @serenawilliams, a champ & the GOAT. We spoke, we're good. ONWARD! #lifelessons," Stephens tweeted. (Photo: Julian Finney - Pool/Getty Images)

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2013 Australian Open - The friendly rivalry between the two tennis stars came to a head at the 2013 Australian Open, where Stephens upset Williams in the quarterfinals (Stephens eventually lost to defending champion, Victoria Azarenka). Her performance boosted her to the no. 17 world ranking in women's singles, a career high. (Photo by Julian Finney - Pool/Getty Images)

So Social - When she's not stunning audiences on the court, Stephens can be found doling out inspirational messages and humorous observations on Twitter (she has more than 67,900 followers), keeping in touch with fans and giving the world a glimpse into what she plans next. (Photo: Instagram/sloanestephens)

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So Social - When she's not stunning audiences on the court, Stephens can be found doling out inspirational messages and humorous observations on Twitter (she has more than 67,900 followers), keeping in touch with fans and giving the world a glimpse into what she plans next. (Photo: Instagram/sloanestephens)