Unknown American tennis player Sloane, who was ranked 29 going into the Australian Open, shocked tennis fans everywhere when she beat favorite Serena Williams in
After winning the Wimbledon, Olympic and United States Open titles in 2012, Serena Williams, 31, went into the Australian Open on Jan. 22 ranked No. 3 and expected to face No. 1 ranked Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals — but those expectations were shattered when 19-year-old Sloane Stephens defeat Serena 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Serena reportedly was suffering from back problems, and Sloane’s fierce combination of offense and defense led her to beat third-ranked Serena — which means Sloane will now face the number-one seeded Victoria during the semifinals on Jan. 24.
Serena Williams Was Sloane’s Role Model Growing Up
In her post-match interview, Sloane revealed that she had a poster of Serena Williams in her room growing up, and that she was one of her biggest role models.
"This is so crazy, but oh my goodness," Stephens said during her post-match interview. "I think I'll put a poster of myself now."
Before the match even started, Sloane said she felt good about her chances of winning.
"Last night I was thinking about it," she said. "And someone asked me, 'Do you think you can win?' And I was like, 'Yeah, I think so.' But I wasn't too clear about it, and this morning when I got up I was like, 'Dude, you can do this. Go out and play and do your best.' "
Congrats to Sloane, and best of luck in the semifinals!
What do YOU think of Sloane defeating Serena HollywoodLifers? Do you think she has a shot at winning her match in the semifinals? Let us know in the comments below!
– Christina Stiehl
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