Sloane Stephens: “I Was Totally Lost & Confused!” Waking Up After Winning The 2017 US Open

Our first grand slam champion on the Changeover Podcast is none other than the lovely Sloane Stephens. Sloane lets us inside the life of a WTA player as she prepares for her Miami Open 2024 campaign. Sloane is a 7 time WTA title holder and career high #3 in the world with wins over some of the greatest players of all time.

The Changeover is the channel to watch if you want to know exactly what it’s like to be a pro tennis player looking to train hard, progress each week, and climb the rankings.

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Edited by Reece Bullock for The Sheriff

#tennis #podcast #atp #wta

Uh like a year or two ago I went to one of the games and one of the players I was talking [ __ ] about like I you know I voed my opinion on the couch like sitting watching on TV like like he’s like a big

Man but I saw him in person I was like this man I would never say this being in like very high pressure situations it was always like it’s going to be great like it’s going to be so fun that was funny cuz before my first Finals of a future I could barely eat

Dinner night before I’m playing for 10 15 points what’s up people welcome back to podcast we are in for here my name is Justin Roberts to my left Jordan McGinley and Evan Zoo we’re here during the Miami open so hopefully a few special episodes um don’t forget we have to deal

With Pro Stringer if you use our code change over at the checkout at on their website get $100 off great machine use it at home on the road easy to travel with save you a lot of money and uh yes we also have merch you check the link

Tree in our Instagram you can buy hoodies t-shirts pullovers and you will be supporting the podcast helping us pay for editing cost cuz it’s not free to do this and we’re losing money we just started the YouTube monetization we made about $12 in about 8 days so we might

Need a little bit of help uh today we have a very special guest this is um this young lady has a birthday coming up soon one Wednesday Wednesday I think she’s turned in 27 or 28 uh she makes the game of tennis look very easy I never actually seen her

Sweat you got Jord over here sweating EV sweating she necessary she put on a beanie cuz it’s so cool in there uh she is a curry roie and oxtail lover that’s why I have some ox yesterday it didn’t last very long she’s a seven time champion on WTA tour 2018

Mi Miami open Champion y yes 2017 US Open champion and probably maybe her big achievement might be starting off foundation in 2013 this is our very first Grand Slam champion on the podcast SLO Stevens thanks for joining us I’m so honored the first Grand Slam

Champion to come yes hope we do a good job so we started learn Tradition now when we play a game before we get started into the to the serious stuff so we’re going to do five questions okay they’ve been trying to see who has the most let’s say tennis and random trivia

Knowledge okay hold on one more cut throughout this episode right if someone’s out the game they out the game no more extra lives unless it’s more fun to do a a last last question is more points though right if you’re still in the game so we have a tie there’ll be a

Bonus question and it won’t be tent related okay and it won’t so now the first five questions you have to answer right on the board first and then we each read the answers out and we keep score okay but the last question is first to answer game that last last time

It was a math question guess who got it you all right don’t show me your thing all right right question number one who did Alex deino beat in the final of akapulko y’ don’t watch no tennis that’s the problem that’s the problem this year brother goodness gracious why do I remember the story

More than the actual tennis match that he left the the next morning to go yeah he would to San Diego with the wrong dancks that me 10 seconds go this one ni okay help think she worse than us no bro all right you done you locked in I know yeah

I don’t know who won that I don’t even know who he five four I can’t even name another player in the tournament two this is so wrong one all right ladies first on cam Nori no Evan hoger no Casper rud Jody mcin that’s one that’s one that’s one that’s one that’s

One we’re on the board we’re on the board we’re on the board kiding we’re on the board I watch Tennis how we get geography you all travel we got tennis players in there oh what is the capital of Australia [Laughter] let tell me what your letter Ser

We Mr you see I’m just going to do this I know it’s wrong whatever want a clue no no no no clues no clues all right you Lu then yeah I’m ready I have two answers but I don’t know what it is is it Perth no fud

And I know what it is we go again we cut we not cut R okay okay go go it’s okay it’s okay you you the next two questions are just for you tailor it for you to win you Sydney no I wasn’t let me going cuz I know the

Answer was it camir yes okay what I both I had them both that wouldn’t have been my guess I don’t know which one that would not have been my guess so what is it one one no no 1 one0 0 okay I won’t take that 1.5 I mean like a half

Point for that I5 hey throw me the other5 what clothing brand is slow and sponsored by this is for me yeah oh no see you have this guest on you talk about how much you want to talk to them you do and you do no research that’s the

Problem that’s the problem right there that is the problem coming here not ready the craziest part is we have two pages of notes here and that’s not in any of the notes no I got them in my notes don’t worry oh my word I’ll I’ll just pass on

This just give slow now slow now you have 1.5 okay thank you J what you good oh I have nothing brother SL you wear what what do you window Free People movement people movement FP movement all day shout out to so we got them slown up 1.5 one and

Zero you have never gotten any question right on this podcast besides the bonus one which was me that’s not sitting right all right who did Sloan beat in the semi-finals of the US Open 2017 easy peasy what to be open n question like do you even know who I am right what’s going

On I’m a a wrong guess but it’s going to be commendable let him go first are you serious like delet it try again try again try again do another guess that would be better ohoh yeah like you don’t do that and still gets to wrong like no I mean that

Was just a terrible guas like why would you ask this question specifically no cuz I wanted to make sure she she would be in the run I didn’t know if she would watch men’s stus on not or right no what do we doing here I Cutthroat yes first try Evan vus

Williams Jord Serena no first of all he started with Madison Keys was like that’s the final and then that’s the final so we should all I’m a five no no no no no no no no no no no cuz that would no he went from Madison to Serena

To then Vina so you get the so SLO got 2.5 hasn’t answered yet v as I was there you were at the match all right I was there okay this wasn’t going to be worth two points get Jordy a chance this is question number five okay spell luic Ian luic last name luic

This don’t look right just looking at it from here what do you think you’re looking it I shouldn’t I feel like we’re going to I feel they have like a little letter like this one in here somewhere you know what I mean where you going to put it though let’s

Slide her right in here or is it here you know what I mean it’s one of these two right here I’m going to give you guys 10 seconds to walk this one you know you know what I’m just going to save myself and not even answer not answer what do you mean not

Answer cuz I’m going to be made fun of on the internet for being a coward okay that’s good do something for more I go first H you wait wait wait everybody Lo down down that’s crazy what you just did but you can’t change it who can’t change who can’t change it leave

That I remember how you sp it slow let him go first okay all right l u b j c i c no that J talk l u b yeah stick with your answer i j c i soow what your girl this game is l u b

I c j i c okay so the correct answer is l j u b i c i c the sneaky J after the L can you every time but Sloan wins with a with a landslide Victory Landslide 2.5 to one every still have zero I started that was cute the little

Geography question I started like that a lot mix it up a little bit okay on we put the boards away we can get started with the UN T were there hi two star there you go what yeah let’s get into it guys boy okay all right so Sloan can we talk a

Little bit about your introduction to tennis so obviously you had a good Junior career um you know getting pretty high in juniors and then you know you had your success on the procore but what was it like growing up for you in the game of tennis in South Florida what was

Your junor is looking like yeah so I started playing tennis pretty like fairly late for like a pro player I started when I was nine so it was like kind of when most kids were playing like Little Mo’s at probably like five and six like I hadn’t even started playing

Tennis yet so um it was interesting because when we moved to Florida and I started playing more I went to Evert which was across the street from Boa prep um and I started playing more full-time and like getting better and improving and it was interesting cuz

Like I wasn’t I was very like innocent in the game like I didn’t know like cheating like you been supporting play designated and like your kids are cheating the parents are wild like it was definitely a new experience for me but I had started late so I wasn’t

Really like I didn’t know what was going on which I think was probably good um but yeah like growing up playing in Florida was obviously interesting but fun at the same time and then like getting better I wasn’t good until I was like 16 so okay I mean and then did it

Change like did your approach change when you started to improve um no I mean you know me my personality I’ve like been the same person since I was like five so I think like um I just was enjoying myself it was fun like tennis

Was fun for me it still is fun but um it was very much just like I was out there enjoying myself I was athletic I was had talent I was good um but it didn’t really like click until I was like 16 I would say did you play did you play any

Other Sports growing up no none at this time you were at you were training at ever exclusively cuz at that time this when ever and USA were at the same place right they weren’t there yet I’m like showing my age now because the US wasn’t

There yet but I was at ever for like a year and a bit and then I went to South County park with Sylvester black okay and then we had like a really group like good group of like kids that we played after school and so I went to B prep and

Then after school we would go to S and play at South County Park okay did you have any um like thoughts to go to college or it was always you I mean I think you were playing slams at what 16 17 yeah would say I don’t know when I

Played my first like quali of a slam but I’d probably say like 17 18 sounds about right um but I was going to go to UCLA and then I got a good offer from like an agency to turn pro and and my grandparents and my aunts and uncles

Were all like you should just go for it like you never know what could happen and I think I kind of just again I wasn’t good when I was young I didn’t have the pressure of like oh my God my dream was to go pro like I wasn’t like

Oh my God this it’s do or die like I never had that type of pressure so when the opportunity came I was like okay like I’ll try it yeah like I’ll try it like let’s see what happens um but I definitely was going to go to college

That was like what I thought I was going to be doing I never was like oh my God I’m for sure going pro I’m going to be number one into the world like that wasn’t my thought process it was just like I’m having fun I’m playing well I’m

Going to be able to go to college for free like yay and that you think that mindset helps you when you’re playing matches like to play without pressure or do you have other like pressures from other places um yeah like when I was growing up and like just coming on the

Tour um I would say I didn’t have really any like I was just out there playing and having a good time as I like kind of i’ felt like I’ve had like three careers I got injured I want to slam then I came back and I like

There’s been a lot of like different moments for me but I would say that the pressure at every angle has been very different in terms of like at the beginning the pressure was just like o am I like going to be in the top 50 like

Am I going to be able to like get into the top 20 and then it was like okay am I ever going to win a grand slam or am I ever going to get to top 10 or whatever it was and I think once you kind of like

Check those boxes off like the pressure becomes like okay how much more money can I make or how like how good can can I get my ranking or whatever it is like how many tournaments can I win or I haven’t won this tournament I want to

Win this tournament like I I think that the pressure just kind of evolves like in your own mind like as a player and like things that you’ve done in your career and that you want to do more of exactly um but when I like first started like the goal wasn’t like oh I

Definitely want to be number one in the world like did it ever become that at any point no I mean it would have been nice like it would have been great to be number one in the world but winning a Grand Slam at home and coming off of an

Injury and not playing for seven eight months however long I was out being 900 the world winning a slam like I don’t think I could have like written it any better yeah so I think like if that was my like really great opportunity in tennis like I wouldn’t

Change it for like to be number one in the world for a week no yeah and that hasn’t changed since since that week no like I said at the beginning of like my career I that wasn’t like my goal like I was literally just playing cuz it was

Fun and like I enjoyed it and I was good at it you mentioned the game being fun but there’s like this narrative about you that you don’t enjoy playing like you look like you don’t care yeah everyone thinks I hate it but long does everybody go to work every day and it’s

Like I [ __ ] love it here like like no absolutely not I think it’s like unrealistic to be like I wake up every day and go to practice and I’m like this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me when you’re playing a match and you’re enjoying it what is the difference like

What can we see in your face or in your I guess demeanor that’s different than when you’re having a a rougher time or there I don’t know cuz I feel like there’s been times where I’ve been like that match was so fun like it was so competitive like I really loved it and

They like you look like a dead horse out there like what’s wrong with you and I’m like I actually thought I had a good time but I mean so I don’t know I think everyone’s like narrative again again these are people who are like betting on

Matches who like have are like you know have something in the race yeah it’s always like the story line but I’m like if you look at like what they say about I don’t know I don’t even know like a random player like Madison Keys like her narrative is like totally different and

They’re like why isn’t she hit more Aces why didn’t she do like it’s like there’s always going to be some sort of whatever but like every time that I actually feel like I’m like oh my God I was like really high energy today and I thought I

Did really well they’re like why do you look like casket ready and I’m like and how do you deal with it does it bother you at all uh no I mean they I’ve had so many crazy mean psychotic things said to me I’m just like whatever I mean at the

End of the day The Press Room can’t be as bad as the Instagram DM still oh yeah I mean I’ve been through like FBI cases and like all types of stuff like from people you said what I yeah I’ve just had like ter terrible experiences like

Online and yeah people have gone to jail for like yeah harassing me on the internet mhm it’s like a real thing I mean I don’t know I’ve never gotten the police involved in my cases you know but I think they give up on me so it’s all good they don’t bet on me

Anymore no I think it’s just a very especially when you’re winning and there’s like a lot happening and people are betting more and like people are very into it it’s just that’s what people that’s like people’s go-to like we go to work every day people go and bet every day like

That’s their thing right they make a living off of that and I think at a time where like the like we were just getting into like social media like 10 years ago I would say it was like not that big of a deal but then as we’ve gotten like

Smarter and there’s more apps and there’s more access and you can like literally DM anybody like I think now it’s become obviously way more of a problem but I mean I’m I’m not going to jail for anybody so I will not get on the internet and talk [ __ ] to anyone I’m

Like are the uncomfortable moments in person do you ever run run into any of these people like in person or is it I mean I’m assuming that the security at at these uh at the big tournaments are good so yeah no I mean anything people say to you online they would never say

To you in person yeah like and I would definitely think I’d be ready to fight like if somebody somebody came up to me and like some of the things that they’ve said to me like if someone came up to me was like I can’t even say it on here

Like if they were like you like please say it that right like I like some of the things people write you you’re like what if they were like you black monkey [ __ ] I’d be like what’s up like we got to throw like we’re not just going to walk away like it’s just not

Possible but I think that’s not even a bad one like there’s so many other whatever but I I think that it’s just become so normal for these people to do that that it’s like made it okay it’s funny because I would never do that like I mean I I watch Manchester United the

Football team and obviously I’m passionate about it you know sometimes for players not doing good I’m on the couch going crazy but I would never go and say never go to the Instagram but I was telling Justin uh like a year or two ago I went to one of the games and one

Of the players I was talking [ __ ] about like I you know I voice my opinion on the college like sitting watching him on TV like I kind believe he’s like a big M yeah but when I saw him in person I was like this m I would never say

This liter no chance way like no way but I think that’s the problem is that like these people have no actual access to you so they say whatever right and they see you in person and they’re like actual fans like they they actually want like a picture with you or they want

Like and you’re like you literally were just cussing me out online like how is it possible confused okay um to go back to the US Open just a little bit about the one that you won so was there any different feeling going into that US Open about

Where your game was at compared comped to thas in the past cuz you won a few wtas before that um but did you did you feel any more or less confident that week did you approach it any differently like what what changed that week um at

The biggest event um so I was injured I had surgery in January of 2017 and then I was on a I was like on crutches I was in a wheelchair like I couldn’t walk the whole thing um I was non I was non weight bearing for 16 weeks so I

Couldn’t put any pressure on my foot for 16 weeks which was a long time and then I started playing again in like may like I could actually like stand up on the court and hit and then my first turnament back was Wimbledon so I played Wimbledon I lost first round to

Ali risk um I played a good match but like it was tough like I hadn’t played in a really long time I hadn’t played since the Olympics of the prior year so since 2016 were you unprotected I was unprotected yeah when I came back my protected I think was like 30 something

Maybe like 38 or something like that so I could get into all the tournaments with my protected and then I played Wimbledon then I came back and I played in DC I played Hal first round in DC and I played a good match but obviously really tough like she was

Probably like top five in the world at the time not maybe not number one yet but she was still up there and then I went to Toronto or I made finals of doubles in DC with jie Bard when we played it was a good week we played well

Um and then I went to Toronto I made semis in Toronto I lost to Waki in the semis but it was fine I was tired as hell um and then went to Cincinnati lost in the semis to H up there and I played well like I play I

Was like cruising I was doing well beating all the people I should beat you know whatever and everyone I think kind of was like where’d she come from cuz I hadn’t played all year basically um and then going into the US Open we were like out probably like the second day of

Practice we had gotten there and Mary cillo and Paul anone were working for Tennis Channel and they were like coming out of the whatever like the little like thing like the what do they call it like the broadcasters like like they had over there yeah and they came to the car

We’re talking and everybody loves to talk to my mom so of course they were like chatting it up and then Paul and Mary like you know you can win tournaments alone and I was like okay I was like yeah I said if I play well I’ll

Have a good result I I’ll try to do something good right and um I was like yeah whatever so we kind of like went about our day and whatever and our next two weeks and then I was in the semis and I me my mom and my friend Tanya were sitting in the

Room in my hotel room we had just come back from dinner and there was like a little you know ESPN does like little tickers or whatever and it says like it was like just saying it’s like son Stevens defeated Venus Williams and it said like the prize money next to it and

I was like holy [ __ ] I’m rich I was like Mom I am rich girl and she was like oh my God like I was like oh my God that’s how much money you make oh my goodness and I was like wow um but it didn’t say how

Much you made for the final so like I had then I was in the final so I had like beaten Venus and then I was in the final and I was like oh my God but it didn’t say how much money like the rest was it just said how much you like got

To that point and I was like I better win the tournament then I was like Mom we got to win the tournament and so from then I was like oh like I couldn’t not that I couldn’t believe that i’ had gotten that far I had played so many hard matches I’d say

Like first round I played like Veni who had made the finals the year before then I played Cil kova who won the tournament the week before in New Haven I played gergus who was like top 20 at the time I played ashb who was like just coming

Back but she was obviously playing well um else I play saw the matches before L up T it was good like you said you lost to H twice that summer and she was on her way to the top like said you beat the people that you thought that you should

Have beaten yeah like I didn’t lose to anyone that I was like oh that was a bad loss like I don’t even that whole entire summer like I didn’t I was like okay this is fine so even leing up you probably felt like you were in a good

Place like yeah I was in a really good place and I just didn’t I mean I had nothing to lose I hadn’t played all year had made no money all year I was like on disability I was like just like chilling so I was like we might as well make some

Money um but yeah there was no absolutely no pressure for me to perform at that point um and there was no expectations everyone was just happy that I was back and I was playing and I was healthy um obviously having surgery in the first week of January like at the

Beginning of a new season not ideal so just being able to play everyone was happy with and obviously having good results totally unexpected because I had played and then um being able to beat like good players who were actually at the time like playing well like at the

Top of the game I was like okay this is not bad you feel like at that time it was very competitive like the top players yeah for sure like I in Toronto I played safarova who was I think at the time she was also top 20 and she had two

Match points and I came back and won like I think like those like little things like were what like kind of gave me confidence for like the next matches or whatever like I was beating people in the top 20 and I was like playing really well I was overcoming like a bit of

Adversity like here and there and like you’re just kind of like stepping stones to like playing better and better and better and kind of just getting that like Rhythm and that confidence back and then obviously once I got to the US Open and I was like okay like I was playing

Tough matches but I was still in the matches I was like beating these people so I was like okay I might as well be able to you know take it a little further and okay you beat Venus and now you in the final and are you favored to win do

You feel or is it um I don’t think or even came back from injury well she’s beaing everybody she she’s everyday hey is a blessing bro yeah exactly exactly um I don’t think I was favored to win I think it was more like Maddie was also injured during the

Year so we were both injured at the same time like at home texting each other like what are you doing what’s happening like whatever us so like we didn’t have like we both yeah we both were injured so there was nothing like there was no expectation we both it’s just all upset

It was on the up and up and okay so the the money is there in your mind when you’re playing the match or what is oh no I wasn’t even thinking about that I was just like it’s just like funny that to see it on the TV yeah I was like oh

My God and then like I was like in my room like watching replays of myself like on Sports Center how do you keep such a big situation low pressure this it sounds like to to me it’s like oh yeah we play the final so you guys open

Tomorrow and it’s like okay it goes no it’s totally like that I think like if you have a mom like mine like Jesus Christ like I think you the moments that are like supposed to be very serious are totally not serious like she was just

Like oh it’s going to be so fun like my friends are coming like I’m like okay whatever like my friends my brother my sister my aunts andc like you know like the whole thing was very like fluid and exciting and fun and I think growing up how I grew up

With my mom just being like Oh like it’s a good time like tennis is fun yay like Rob ra like everything was always like a good experience and I think being in like very high pressure situations it was always like it’s going to be great

Like it’s going to be so fun my mom’s like like you know what I mean like if you know my mom she everything that she does and says she’s like it’s going to be amazing like I love it like I mean like she’s just like this is so fun

Like that funny cuz before my first Finance of a future I could barely eat dinner the night before I’m playing for 10 15 points like this is a big de for me you know what I mean call my extra spoonful of rice I love it I

Love it no it is like that though like you get super nervous I get very nervous I can’t eat either and like I’m just like I totally feel you on that but I definitely think it’s like the way how whatever sport you play like how it’s like

Presented to you is how you probably always will like remember it or like like the feeling that you get from it and I think from growing up until like even now like it was always like okay if we win we’re going to Sushi like you know like it was always like an exciting

Like fun rewarding thing for me and I think I obviously would raise my kids like that because like it makes your kid or whoever like excited about whatever it is that they’re doing um and I think as I got older and like had better results

And whatever like I mean the US Open was great I won the US Open right I was in the French Open final and I didn’t win and it was like absolutely devastating French Open is like the only tournament that like I’ve ever wanted to win like

Like I have to win the French Open I just have to I don’t know like I’ve always been so well there I’ve made it’s been my best slam I’ve made fourth round uh or the second week of the French Open for the last 12 years or something like

10 years something like that so like it’s been my best slam with most matches and like I just always wanted to win there and when I didn’t it was like heartbreaking I swear I cried for like a week it was like devastating but after I was like okay it just wasn’t my time

Like it wasn’t meant for me to win the French Open it wasn’t meant for me to like have that moment and like I think that’s like I’m I’m able to accept that like that just was like that was Simona’s time it was her time to like

Win a grand slam like whatever it may be like it just was that wasn’t meant for me like maybe God will reward me with something else and more greater and more whatever but like that just like everyone has their moment that was her moment and then I was like okay that’s it

It’s funny because like talking about the a majority of professional tennis players especially I’m assuming at the top of the game they’re pretty clear internal goals like they want to be this in the world they want to win this tournament blah blah blah but for you

Like winning the US Open I’m sure as a an American it must have been special but it’s not it wasn’t like life or death that you win the US Open or you don’t in your career so like do you wake up after when in the US Open is they let

Down now that you’ve achieved somewhat of a goal because I don’t know I could assume that for other people if it’s a huge goal of theirs they win it and maybe it could be like what now you know so how was it for you did you have any

Anything was different besides your bank account on waking up the next day um yeah it was different I was like totally lost and confused I was like what happens now like what do we like where do we go from here I also was very injured after the US Open too and I like

Tried to play for another six months and it was like a disaster but I think after I was like okay well like I won that and then obviously I continue to have good results like I made I won Miami open right after not right after I actually

Lost like 10 matches in a row but we’re going to skip over it I was injured I just remember being injured and I like couldn’t do anything I couldn’t walk I couldn’t like it was terrible and I was still playing cuz I didn’t want to get any fines so I was

Like let me just continue to play and then I think I lost like eight matches in a row or 10 it was eight or 10 matches in a row and then I won Miami open which was the last year that was at Kias SK which was really cool and then I

Made the French Open final had a complete mental breakdown over the summer like on the clay when I was like supposed to be playing well and like it was a disaster um then made front jump in final did okay us so been like corded again after like defending the points

Obviously from winning the previous year then I made the year and final that year so like I I still had purpose and like like I still was playing well but I just was like tired and I was like what am I playing for like why am I out here like

I did what I was supposed to do type of thing like I won the Grand Slam like Yay rah rah and I was like what happens now right like what do I like what am I playing for like what is the purpose and yeah like that was hard at that in that

Moment did do you kind of try to remember why you started playing in the beginning like how like what you said like how you and your mom approach matches like is that kind of why you’ve been playing like obviously now you’re trying I’m assuming to get back to to as

High as you can get so like is that what you think about now when you’re playing or what’s on your mind going into like a different purpose or something um yeah I think my purpose now is like just my V vision of tennis is like a little bit

Different like yes I would love to be back in the top 20 and like I was telling my coach the other day I was like you know my ranking hasn’t moved in like a year I’m like who how who are who are these people playing these matches

Like where are they getting these points from like what happening I’m like do I not play in that like do I need to travel some more like what do I need to do like I think that say back he was like [ __ ] I don’t you having a good time on here

Too Sushi yeah right he’s like this is fun I mean um no I think it’s just like it’s very different when you are like figuring it out like and I’m like is the only thing that I really want to do like make my ranking better like then what’s

That going to do for like is that going to like change anything thing is that going to like make me happier like I think a lot of tennis players like tennis like completely defines your life and like who you are like when you’re winning like you feel good about

Yourself when you’re losing you’re like I’m a piece of [ __ ] type of thing like it’s like you feel so bad about yourself like based on like literally what your ranking is and I was like I feel like okay right now but I’m like am I like like your worth feels like determined of

Like how good of a tennis player you are I’m guilty of that too yeah but I think it’s like a tennis player thing it’s like if your ranking is good you’re like oh I feel good and if your ranking is bad and you’re not having good results

You’re like I need to be in a psychic war like it’s like you’re like literally like about to walk off the ledge you’re like what’s going on but so that doesn’t happen to you you don’t you don’t see it that way or at least you try not to let

It be that way yeah I try not to like i’ my R like I said my ring has been the same for like a year and I’m like I’m not walking off the ledge like we’re good like I’m waking up every day like I got food to eat like doing a podcast

With my friends I just don’t have like I love tennis like don’t get me wrong and like I go to practice and I like practice hard and I do everything I can and I like take care of my body and I do all these things and like I try to be as

Professional as I can and like do everything that’s going to make me better and I think sometimes like it doesn’t click but again I’m not like I’m doing the best that I can so at the end of the day I’m like if it doesn’t happen isn’t happen it’s it’s not like meant to

Be I guess but I’m not again I’m not like walking off the ledge cuz I’m like you know this is the end of this is the end of it like I’m like you know what I mean like it’s not like I I feel like it’s either going to click at some point

Or it’s not or like maybe I’ll like win the French Open I don’t know like that’s how tennis is it’s very up and down and like you literally have no idea what’s going to happen week to week like next week I would in Miami open everyone be

Like oh my God we love you again Slow’s back back where has she been but it’s like that’s how tennis is like your value is literally based on your week toe performance and your ranking and go ahead sry like what sort of things do you place most the most value

On I know you got the foundation M and so obviously you’re passionate about helping helping kids and and doing that but along with that like what is that about the foundation and along with that what other things make you like what make Sloan Sloan like besides hidden T

SPS oh that’s a tricky question Justin um U okay no so I started the foundation 2013 and it’s so this is going to be our 11th year now and it we mostly serve unders served kids in Compton Unified which is like 89 for 90% like Hispanic so a lot of our

Kids have never seen a tennis racket have never seen a tennis ball never seen a tennis court have never seen anyone play tennis right so instead of having soccer and basketball and like basically like to play soccer is like a very low like low lift sport you just need a ball

And like literally like your friends could be the gold poost and like like you know a t-shirt or like whatever right it’s like very yeah literally like it’s so so easy and simple and Tennis just requires a lot so again tennis has given me so much in my life and I’m

Always like okay we need to give back we need to do more we need to be able to have kids experience tennis and like even if it’s like just a very small way just being able to like put rackets in their hands let them experience it let

Them just hit ball let them see if they like it you know and and I think my tennis experience has been very fun my very first coach Francisco Gonzalez was amazing I loved him he lived across like he worked across the street and I walked across the street every day to my little

Lesson I rode my bike across the street to my lesson and like I would get there and every single day he was so happy to see me he was so excited and like I want that for kids who probably would never even think about playing tennis because

It’s a good opportunity and I always say that tennis has so many jobs so many opportunities so many ways to tr the world so many people to meet so many resources I just don’t feel like people take enough advantage of what tennis has to offer so being able to offer that to

Our kids in Compton um through the foundation we’ve had about like 10 first generation high school graduates um we have about 10 kids who are now currently in college um who graduated high school went to college went to four-year College went to 2-year colleges um and

That I think for us at the foundation is Success just because it’s like we work with the whole school district so we service about about 6,000 kids a year which for us is amazing and I think being able to change people’s lives through tennis is important obviously my

Life was changed through tennis my mom’s life my my entire family right so being able to give that back and have someone else experience you know graduating from high school or going to college or being able to play on their High School tennis team like I think those are wins for us

Through the foundation and I think um obviously when I stop playing tennis I will continue to do that but I I do love helping people and helping my community and that’s just been a big part of my life um through while I’ve been playing and then obviously now like post US Open

Just kind of finding new purpose and finding new reason to like get out there and like help as many people as I can and just encourage people to play the sport of tennis cuz it is I’m curious cuz obviously being a minority in the sport of tennis with

BL um it seems like when black people do well in the sport at least from the way I see it like in the media stuff it seems like you get this yeah like he’s saying responsibility to I guess us generation of let’s say people of color

And I guess either grow the sport or give people opportunities to play do you feel like that’s like he said your responsibility and do you Embrace that like is that a source of pressure or is it just something that kind of you take pride in no I think it’s great honestly

Like representation matters I think when I started playing like Venus and seren were still playing uh Shonda Reon wasn’t playing still like Zena Lori they weren’t but like Lori McNeil is like a big part of my tennis life and like seeing her you know teach me how to

Volley like she literally taught me how to hit voles and like approach shots right and I think being able to see her like in action and like help me was helpful right seeing Venus and Serena in real life and then playing against them was very helpful but there’s only like

Even now there’s like maybe eight black tennis players that play like and thank God like were pretty decent like that you see us on TV a lot and people can see see us and kids can look up to us but it hasn’t always been like that right there hasn’t been this massive

Group of like representation in tennis and I think obviously tennis is considered a rich sport a wealthier sport so it’s harder to break those barriers of kids like who may be super athletic or super talented being able to play because it’s just not feasible for a lot of families right so it does

Matter I feel like that the people see us on TV and see us to being like yes this this sport is attainable like we can’t have our kids play that I think that part is like really important cuz it does actually like flip the switch for people who parents who may be

Watching tennis on TV and are like I really want my kid to to play tennis yeah right you know not to go off topic here but I feel like what you just said about people view tennis about as being um a rich sport or like an expensive

Sport you know but then if you actually look at the the income of people in tennis like the higher higher ranked players and compared that to other sports I don’t know if if the outcome is as similar as you would think you know like it’s expensive to get into the

Sport and then what you get back at the top of the game is not the same as you would get back from like what you said about you know football or or baseball basketball I don’t know I’m not sure about how the golf money is but it’s interesting it’s hard to it’s expensive

To get into the sport and even when you get to the top of the game you’re not rewarded finally much money yeah Me a Maybe maybe they should times for fun no no no no no I will say I have been I have been fairly compensated don’t

Make not complain made a lot of money I’m very happy with my job # WTA but like I do think obviously with other sport like yes I would love to make an NBA player salary they make I mean league minimum or like vet minimum like

If we made as much as they made like I think the vet minimum now is like I want to say it’s like $3 million or something I’m like and that’s like guaranteed and if you’re vet like some of them like no offense do sit on the bench and like you

Are just traveling with your team like I would love to do that and they’re like actually not playing like we’re like playing and aspect you’re responsible for your own like coaching travel all this kind of stuff you’re responsible for all of your own expenses you’re responsible for your team you’re

Responsible for yeah like basically other other people right if something happens to my coach when we’re in a foreign country like helping them go to the doctor like every like you’re all one right it’s like it’s a it’s a team thing it’s a team game and and I feel

Like even baseball players basketball players like they all make these significant salaries based on you know them having unions and them having all of these player bargaining agreements and all this stuff and like in tennis we don’t have that so we’re always cut like a little bit short um again we make a

Lot of money if you look at like the top players in the game like noak’s made over $100 million in prize money like there’s been people there’s the people who have been so successful and done so well like Roger Rafa Noak Andy like they’ve all had incredible careers and made so much

Money but the gap between them and like the next little group is pretty far I’d say and then I’d say also that the people even on the girl side like some of our top earners like Ser I think Serena’s made 100 million in prize money or close to it or something like that

And I think like the next Gap it goes from like Serena and Venus and then it’s like the next is like 35 million or something so it goes from like 100 million 50 million 35 million something like that which again we’re talking about millions of dollars here this is

Not jump change but um for people that’s over a period of a 10 year 12 year 15E career Venus andrena played 20 something plus years um and again NBA players like you know they pay 10 years and they’ve made the 350 million like is this something that you all talk about at at

All cuz I mean obviously you know we’ve played mostly Futures and challenges yeah um to this point so obviously it’s something that we talk about a lot you know trying to figure out how to schedule tournaments what tournaments to play different levels price money if you go to the challenges maybe you get

Housing versus maybe you go to a future maybe it’s a better opportunity to get more points like but is that something that you guys ever talk about like the like schedu and according into budget and you know like I guess your team and that sort of stuff um I wouldn’t say

That particular is like a topic of conversation I think that at WTA tournaments you do get your room paid for so wherever you go your room is free um you normally get to eat on site you get two meals a day um if you and you

Get minimum nights so you get if you go to a 250 you get 5 nights minimum if you go to a 1,000 it’s 10 nights minimum I only know all this cuz I’m the player Council so I have all these like small details that obviously matter a lot to

Players that are like just starting out just traveling like it matters like if you can’t go home and you need somewhere to stay you’re not paying you know $200 a night for a hotel room because all of that adds up right especially when it’s your own expense um so the tours have

Done a really good job in order to help the players especially players like when we go to Europe like there’s nowhere for us to go right so we have to stay at the tournament we have to practice we have to be there like you can’t go anywhere

So having 10 nights of a free hotel is helpful obviously you have to pay for your coach’s hotel or your trainer or whoever is with you but like being able to have that expense kind of taken care of is obviously helpful so that’s good what’s it like being on the council

What’s the responsibility and conversations like there well I’m I’m not on anymore I was on for four years um and it was good I just I talk too much and have too too many opinions to be on there maybe cuz I just wear myself

Out um but no it was good we we’re able to change a lot and I think in organizations it’s hard to make changes quickly like everything takes a bit of time and everything takes like it’s a process and I think obviously within the last like three or four years we’ve had

So many issues in terms of covid and just tournaments and just just so many things that have been truly like just exhausting like I don’t know we always say we don’t how our CEO does it because he like has taken everything with stride but it is it’s hard it’s hard to run a

Company in a business where you know tournaments also have a seat at the table and they’re you know they have opinions on how they want things to be run the tour has opinions on how things they want things to be run and um just in general I would say Co

China Saudi uh Ukraine like all of these things have been like major factors in the tours over the last couple of years and it’s made it difficult and I think trying to support all the those different players at every single turn has been hard but I think that’s the

Point of you know everyone playing on a global tour when there’s so many different things happening um it’s been interesting but I think the things that we want change it does take a while and I think that’s why people have been frustrated but um things are changing

Okay how do you feel about the ptpa oh oh we can’t talk about that you want to go there um no I think obviously Nob back’s trying to do a good thing and I think it just takes more time to like understand what they’re doing and try how they’re

Trying to help players um I think a lot of the things that they have done have been in the like trying to help players in the best interest of the players but it’s just kind of how they fit in with the organizations with the WTA and ATP and how

They find themselves how players find them find them useful and how they can really like utilize them because at the end of the day the WC and HP have been around for a really long time and so another organization coming in and trying to basically do the same thing

But just better doesn’t always work but it’s always doesn’t always work as quickly as people think a lots of the pros um at the higher level supportive of them or you don’t know um I don’t know I I think they have a lot of people

On board I know they have like a their version of like a council um they have a bunch of different things but it’s obviously always going to be tough when players are divided so if half the players are with ATP and WTA and the other half are with PTA ptpa it doesn’t

Really help anyone either right so it’s like having everyone on the same page on the same team is what’s going to you know make us get more money when they’re doing TV rights deals or new betting deals or whatever it is like if everyone’s aligned we all win right but

If we divide it in three parts like we’ll see maybe you don’t answer this okay don’t don’t want to but the ask a question but don’t answer ask we s of there was like rumored like some a Saudi offer to like join the tours or something and put big money into the

Tours would you be for that against it but which one I feel like there’s like a bunch of different he said he said anything into the group chat there was recently some I I didn’t pay attention to it are you talking about like the Premier League thing that they’re

Talking about League thing I think so yeah yeah that’s like yeah I some company made an investment or they I don’t even know if it was WT was it I think it was there was both TOS yeah they were like talking about doing like a premier like league and having like

Bringing the slums in yeah I I’ve heard of it but I’m not too clear I think that they are like in the beginning process yeah like I think they’re trying to like figure out what they’re doing um I think the tournaments would still be like fully back like Australian Open is like

Backed by the government like I think all of those tournaments would still be backed by whoever there you know gives them subsidies or whatever um I don’t know how involved Saudi would be but obviously they’re trying to bring a lot of tennis to Saudi so I wouldn’t be

Surprised I mean that’s just something that it’s kind of that’s where it’s going right tennis around the world and globally is has changed and been developing so I wouldn’t be surprised if they were one of the groups too but I mean you can’t really like take it

Serious until it’s like in front of you right so I think a lot like we already have slams we already have you know like Grand Slam agreements we have all these things so to like do that over again with the whole entire new tour and everything I think it would be

Complicated yeah but it could work I mean if if it makes sense and it works for everyone and players make more money and we can you know make more money faster and all that I think it’s worth it um but it just honestly just depends it’s like way more complicated than just

Like I want to make more money and like let’s go to another tour type of thing so we talked about the game changing in that way but from being on court could do you have any sense of if the WCA or the women’s game has changed over the

Years uh yeah I would say a lot has changed I’d say like the speed of which people play is faster I would say the balls are different every week the courts are different every week the speed of the courts are different every week um how much grain are in the courts

Are different every week the stringers are different every week um which just makes everything different I think there was more consistency probably 10 years ago like when I first came on on the tour all the balls being the same like pretty similar stringers week in and week out like just as obviously as

Tournaments want to make more money and cut cost down they just kind of take their own angles of things which is totally fine it’s just that it gives a lot of um what is the word I’m looking for it gives a lot of like discrepancy throughout the year of like which balls

Are where what surface you’re playing on how slow CHT is how fast another CHT is like those are just things that are different and I think that affects how players play that affects players shoulders if there’s more injuries if there’s less injuries people’s knees being bad the whole like thing it’s like

Al always affects like the broader Group which I mean yeah would change it oh my you have a question let him ask no I was just going as a lot of Pros are saying they got hurt from the bald the frequent ball um have you had any injuries or any I

Haven’t had any injuries or pains from the no I I wouldn’t say from the ball changes I’ve had anything I would say the court services but I mean the balls like the balls are very subtle like where you feel like elbow pain or you feel like your shoulders tighter or like

Things like that I would say I’ve noticed that over the last like two years it’s kind of gotten a little bit weird um but guys are different you guys serve more with your ball or harder like it’s a whole thing like now you can like clearly see the balls are like fluffing

Up like you can see clear differences like with your eyes whereas before you really couldn’t tell people weren’t really paying attention and then now again so many different things have changed Dynamics have changed with the courts with the balls with the stringers with the string like stringers so like

Are so different now like I play with the string somebody else plays with different string like it’s just like everything is is really different and I think that like the people playing the ten the actual tennis have like our bodies haven’t caught up with it yet that makes sense did you change anything

Um like with rackets or string anything you know with the with the different changes did you do anything differently besides obviously just string at different tensions but did you try messing around with any strings well I guess you didn’t really have any like inj I had a foot injury which was from

Bad shoes but I would say I did change my racket probably I did racket last year last year I played with a different racket all season and I was like no no no I got to go back to so my Old Faithful so I went back to my

Old rackets um but that was pretty much it I mean it’s harder again a lot harder to control the balls and all of these like different Dynamics and like week to week um so that’s also tough and you have to be way more diligent on like what you’re stringing at how tight

You’re stringing how loose how you’re changing it when you’re going to altitude when you’re going to Asphalt when you’re on concrete like those all of those things make a difference and you’d have to be paying a lot more attention and what surface do you prefer

Um I I love clay clay is my favorite surface um but yuck what surface though clay it looks great from me looking at the match looks great SL yeah it’s the best J it could definitely beat you in a baseline game on like a French Open for sure I’m not

Going to sit here and say no you think I’m going to sit here and argue with You put me put me on a hard court and I’ll be okay but clay qut I don’t know what yeah no so it’s like those things make a difference for sure are are you sensitive really sensitive to like racket weights and stuff because I know some players are like super piggy so

You’re so play oh my God I’m I’m not I could probably play with any racket right but when I’m like train like if we were like oh we’re going to go play right now I could play with any rocket like I could like practice I could be b g yes um with

With his own racket so yeah I would be fine to do that but I would feel like there is a little bit of like trust with your racket when you’re playing a match like I can definitely tell like you can tell the difference if you’re playing a

Match but if you’re just like hitting or whatever I can’t I’m like it’s okay that’s you all right we have a a 10-year-old girl what is the podcast her name is Adi I’m not sure how they pronounce her name AR and I think she wants to be a cont player what do you

Think she should be focusing on right know at 10 years old for let’s say the next I don’t know two three years we should have Focus be on oh she wants to be a WTA player oh she wants to be WTA I would say have fun enjoy it obviously it

Gets very serious when you’re like 18 if you want to be a WTA player cuz you’re like paying bills and you’re an adult um so enjoy it now while you can um learn as much as you can be a sponge listen to your coaches um and don’t be afraid to

Give 100% I like that that’s good we have uh another tradition we doing now we going to give do three things okay and you have to rank them for me I’m going to give you different kind of categories and we’re going to rank these things oh I love this game okay and I

Got three categories today okay first one we’re flying we’re going to go you’re in the back seat of a plane so you got no reclad okay back seat seat like right by the bathroom right by the bathroom you’re the exit like the back roow you got aisle in the back seat okay

You got window in the back seat or you got an exit row big room you got leg space what you in the middle no window seat 1,00% no recline no recline what two aisle and then window seat or then exit row so legs mean nothing to you

Nothing I literally don’t ever move on the plane I don’t get up you sleep yeah I literally am that person who we sit down I put my seat well on and I’m like I wake I wake up when when we Le you know what I mean yeah I’m like no I fall

Asleep before the plane takes off mostly fall asleep before the plane takes off and I wake up before the plane takes off I love that okay no but I do have a fun story I flew after winning the US Open I flew from New York to Los Angeles

Economy but I fly everywhere economy I never fly first class flew economy up us over yeah there was no flights and I flew middle seat back home wait how come you always fly economy just because I’m cheap and I don’t move so if I have a

Window seat I literally go to sleep I don’t wake up I never even go to like the bathroom but if they give you upgrades and stuff you take it yeah like I I mean I do fly first class instead if I book it like way in advance or like

Whatever but like it’s the one thing that like my mom despises about me my husband despises about me I will not fly first class so you and Mom’s on a flight she’s up front and you’re in the back no I like guilt everyone into flying economy

I’ll unless it’s like really far like we flew to South Africa obviously we’re flying business but like if we fly like here I flew from LA to here economy Jet Blue they have but they’re like all of their seats are big so it’s fine okay yeah true but most of the time only

Economy like don’t waste your money don’t waste your money okay don’t waste your money all right they give you a complimentary upgrade no no I don’t want it I don’t want it send to the back I want to be back bathroom economy all right La Miami New York ooh la Miami New

York Miami New York La I haven’t been to New York that much though I haven’t been to Mi you was open there oh yeah um you didn’t enjoy it no not you stay over uh in in the city I can’t remember the hotel uh I’ll put I didn’t really do anything

There though M oh it wasn’t like popping for you I mean I guess it could have been but this wasn’t but it could have been but uh I lay first for you all day right yeah I lay first all day I’ll go to New York in Miami you Miami is third Miami

Is live that’s we yeah I’m Mii like two times I’m going my wa wait wait wait why didn’t you invite him to the party last night uh is Crazy wait wow wait do you do they make you listen to their music yeah but it’s not really his thing you know what I mean oh you’re like you stay at home no no but it’s just a deep prefer a different vibe I would say oh do you drink

Alcohol a little bit on the Pod okay first of all we’re getting two person I’ll off the screen okay hey we asked the questions Miami first yeah Miami one la la 2 New York three I think I agree with you all right last one okay this one for the road oh jerk chicken

Oxon or curry with roie o jerk chicken number one oxil and CRA Roy I agree I think I agree maybe maybe Ox three first of all have you had jerk chicken from The Jerk machine with extra brown stew gravy on it bro stop jerk is three for me what

J come last me what you think with dark me like come on bro what qualify the answer what you got did your order yeah I think jerk jerk chicken goes one and then maybe cury two oxel three that Ox had last night was slapping I think I it

Was good I don’t think I’ve ever had it from the it was so good I mean the food takes forever it was like 45 minutes for the oxtail but it was worth it and I had a little Festival on the side I told her was like give me some extra because you

Know I think I think it’s lost bro did you have it in Jamaica no ick in Jamaica what are you talking about then so why can’t eat Jerk Chicken in else no you never had like good jerk chicken so you kind of what you said jerk from where the machine jerk machine

Where is that down the street you want me to take you right so it’s not Jamaica no but chicken that Jamaica no but the one that you have access to right here down the street we not going to Jamaica tomorrow you can’t B you can’t base all

The food off of the little bit that you’ve had you have to base it off like you have to compare the good ones to the good ones you know what I mean tell you based on what I’ve eaten in my life I got Dr Chen at three and I probably get

Curry at one and then ox tail at two what oh wait why didn’t you put like con salad or like anything cuz I had that too last night and that was that salad last night I had it last night it was so good Kong salad c k Kung F this k salad

Freds alen krack what you say am man this man’s going fried first for short really oh you the three I think for him for one of those what punch as as long as the the Kung for is like Cony a lot of conk in it cuz sometimes especially if you for

Yeah just like the it’s just it’s just the ble but I probably I might got to go kro Kong first for the viewers this is bamian delicacy no but the one I had last night was so spicy it was so good you like spicy for

Oh I love spicy but it was it was hitting your family is Caribbean right you have is it your mom my grandpa is from Trinidad okay and then my great grandpa is from anteo wait really your great grand is from anteo mhm I did not know that well you know now we’re

Probably cousins it’s fine looks like it okay um before we roll so is there anything um any last words anything you want to say for the foundation or any um any new projects you got yeah new projects wait I thought your mom had a question my mom had a question

Yeah oh no that was Justin’s Mom oh that was your mom yeah I worked into the into the podcast though already oh well can we give a shout out to your mom cuz you like didn’t let her be known Sonia Roberts okay come on Sonia Robert my

Sister is a fan of yours Savannah oh Savannah my brother Alexis Alexis and my father Bruno I don’t know if he’s a fan but he’s probably going to watch this well you better be a fan Bruno today we need them YouTube views come on Bruno

Don’t play around um no can you say hi to my mom her name is Julie okay come on Julie who else who else you got some friends uh no just oh my God okay now this is mess up man that that’s crazy you don’t no no other people uh aunties or something um

They in China okay that’s fine bro you’re Chinese sorry are you what T he’s American yeah okay good yeah sweet ches okay come on yeah anyways um thanks for having me on your pod I hope this helps thank you for doing so to I hope that you guys get

Some views and make more than $10 I’m have all my friends watch it so okay hopefully it was good hopefully you enjoyed it yeah no I did it was amazing and remember to download no no go to the website go to the website put in the the

Code change over a checkout change over a checkout get $100 off get $100 off like subscribe wherever you watch oh comment share wherever you watch podcast we’re now on YouTube we’re going to have all these little blurbs on Instagram we’re going to do a little collab post

So make sure you tune in you don’t want to miss out thank you just like That