1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:07,880 Sloane Stephens: Welcome back to She Pivots. I'm Sloane Stephens. 2 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,599 Emily Tisch Sussman: Welcome back to She Pivots, the podcast where we talk 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,239 Emily Tisch Sussman: with women who dare to pivot out of one career 4 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: and into something new and explore how their personal lives 5 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:34,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: impacts these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. I'm 6 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: so excited to welcome the incredible Sloane Stevens to the 7 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: show this week. She's not only one of the best 8 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,239 Emily Tisch Sussman: tennis players in the world, She's conquered every challenge in 9 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:47,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: front of her on and off the court. My mom, 10 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: the biggest tennis fan, will be the first to tell 11 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: you that she is a powerhouse on the court. Sloane 12 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: first onto the scene as a teenager, taking down some 13 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: of the game's biggest names, and in twenty seventeen, she 14 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: shots the sports world by winning the US Open. And 15 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: what makes that victory even more extraordinary is that she 16 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: had been ranked outside the top nine hundred just months 17 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: before sidelined with the major foot injury. Instead of letting 18 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: that setback end her career, she used it as a 19 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: launchpad for one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history. 20 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: But Sloane's story doesn't stop there. She's continually redefined what 21 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: success looks like, and each plot twist has opened up 22 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: a new dimension of who she is. She became a 23 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:37,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: philanthropist early on, founding the Sloane Stevens Foundation to bring 24 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:42,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: tennis and educational opportunities to kids in underserved communities, and 25 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: she didn't just lend her name. She built programs that 26 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:49,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: today reached thousands of young people every year, And just 27 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: this year, she became the first tennis player ever to 28 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:57,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: win the Mohammed Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, recognizing not only 29 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: her impact on the court, but also her ruins as 30 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:05,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: a humanitarian and advocate. Then she made the leap into entrepreneurship. 31 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: Drawing from her own life as an athlete constantly on 32 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,919 Emily Tisch Sussman: the move, Sloan created doc and Blow, a clean, high 33 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: performance body care company. It's a brand rooted in her 34 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: value sustainability, inclusion, and self care. Plus, it's named for 35 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: her grandparents, who shaped her sense of resilience and purpose. 36 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: Sloane's journey reminds us that life is rarely a straight line. 37 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,799 Emily Tisch Sussman: It's full of twists and turns and pivots, and it's 38 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:33,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: the way you meet them that shapes the story you 39 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: get to tell. For Sloan, every setback became an opening, 40 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: every win platform to expand into something bigger. I can't 41 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:47,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: wait for you to hear her story. My name is 42 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:48,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: Slune Sevens. 43 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,600 Sloane Stephens: I'm a professional tennis player, an entrepreneur, and a philanthropist. 44 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: Let's back up, Let's go all the way back to 45 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: the beginning. Let's go a little Sloan. Tell us about 46 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:02,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: was little Sloan another little fire Yes, devil Sloan. Yeah. 47 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,320 Sloane Stephens: I grew up in Fresno, California, which is like a 48 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,320 Sloane Stephens: very small, like agricultural town in California, right in the 49 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,680 Sloane Stephens: middle of the state. I started playing tennis because I 50 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,799 Sloane Stephens: lived across the street from the club and it looked 51 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,360 Sloane Stephens: very fun. I started just in like summer camp and 52 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,200 Sloane Stephens: just playing casually. I rode my back across the street 53 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,520 Sloane Stephens: to camp into my lessons, and eventually we ended up 54 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,920 Sloane Stephens: moving to Florida and I started playing more seriously. I 55 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:33,840 Sloane Stephens: played an end academy there, I started homeschooling. I just 56 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,800 Sloane Stephens: kind of like took like the normal course of like 57 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,640 Sloane Stephens: kids moving to Florida to play more tennis and like 58 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:40,760 Sloane Stephens: become better tennis players. 59 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: Where you stand out right away, where all of a 60 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: sudden it became like, Okay, this is the thing that 61 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:46,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: she's doing, or it was just a little more casual. 62 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:48,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: I think it was a little bit more casual. 63 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,000 Sloane Stephens: I was good, obviously, I had like I was athletic, 64 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:53,880 Sloane Stephens: I had good hand eye coordination, like I was good, 65 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:55,520 Sloane Stephens: but I wasn't like the best in my group. 66 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: And I started a little bit late. I started playing tennis. 67 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,280 Sloane Stephens: I was nine, So obviously when I got to Florida, 68 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,160 Sloane Stephens: there had been girls that had been playing tournaments, like 69 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:03,960 Sloane Stephens: they had like this tournament called Little mo and they'd 70 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,320 Sloane Stephens: been playing since they were five, like playing tournaments. And 71 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,040 Sloane Stephens: I was like, I don't even know to keep score, 72 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:10,840 Sloane Stephens: Like it's like I don't even know all the rules 73 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,400 Sloane Stephens: of this sport. But I started a little bit late. 74 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,200 Sloane Stephens: I played a ton with my stepdad. He's the one 75 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,120 Sloane Stephens: who like really got me into playing tennis. He played 76 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,960 Sloane Stephens: tennis a bunch, and we would go all the time, 77 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:22,479 Sloane Stephens: we would hit, we would go on the weekends. Like 78 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:24,080 Sloane Stephens: it was just like kind of like a really fun 79 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,479 Sloane Stephens: like family thing that we all did. No one else 80 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,520 Sloane Stephens: in my family played tennis. My mom was a swimmer, 81 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,000 Sloane Stephens: my dad was a football player. Everyone in my family 82 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,320 Sloane Stephens: plays golf, and yeah, I somehow ended up playing tennis, 83 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,160 Sloane Stephens: and I was not very not that I wasn't very good. 84 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: I was good. I was always good, but I just 85 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:42,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: wasn't at the time. 86 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:44,080 Sloane Stephens: Like I wasn't the number one in my group or 87 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,040 Sloane Stephens: I wasn't like the standout in my age group or whatever. 88 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,240 Sloane Stephens: So I was good, but I wasn't the best, which 89 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:50,640 Sloane Stephens: I think kind of actually helped me. 90 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: So I want to go back to when you moved 91 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: from California to Florida. Did you move to play That's 92 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: a very big family decision to move you across the country. 93 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,280 Sloane Stephens: I always say that I was gonna come in. My 94 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,120 Sloane Stephens: mom had a mid life crisis and was like, we're 95 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,160 Sloane Stephens: moving to Florida. Everyone get up and we're going. But no, 96 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:11,640 Sloane Stephens: I was born in Florida and I until I was three, 97 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:13,680 Sloane Stephens: we moved, then we moved back to California, and then 98 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:16,680 Sloane Stephens: we're moving back. It was to play tennis, I would say, 99 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:18,880 Sloane Stephens: but it was also because my mom always wanted to 100 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,800 Sloane Stephens: move back to Florida. So it was kind of like 101 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,279 Sloane Stephens: all of that in one and honestly just kind of 102 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,320 Sloane Stephens: like worked out that way. And yeah, I mean that 103 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:29,600 Sloane Stephens: was kind of like Okay, we're gonna kill two boards 104 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:31,839 Sloane Stephens: in one stone type of thing. It was super fun. 105 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,240 Sloane Stephens: I went to like there was a school across the 106 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,240 Sloane Stephens: street from the academy I went to. That's where I 107 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,400 Sloane Stephens: met my husband in fifth grade. So like all of 108 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,359 Sloane Stephens: these things happened, like it was great and yeah, I 109 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:43,400 Sloane Stephens: feel like I don't know, Like I mean, I need 110 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,279 Sloane Stephens: to ask my mom, Like I don't know exactly like 111 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,440 Sloane Stephens: why she was like, let's get up and move. But 112 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:48,960 Sloane Stephens: I just felt like it was a part of our 113 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,400 Sloane Stephens: journey and it just worked, like it just made sense. 114 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:53,320 Sloane Stephens: It worked like I had an uncle that was there, 115 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:54,800 Sloane Stephens: two uncles that were there, and like. 116 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:56,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: It fell like home. Like it was great, Like from 117 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: the moment we moved there, it was like it was exciting. 118 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:01,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: I feel like the decision to move closer to the 119 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: academies in Florida and to start homeschooling are if you 120 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:10,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: look at an athlete's bio, two very big significant turning points. 121 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:12,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: We're like, all right, we're really doing this. Did it 122 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,039 Emily Tisch Sussman: feel like that at the time for you? No, not 123 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:16,479 Emily Tisch Sussman: at all. 124 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:20,279 Sloane Stephens: I'm like I was so unseerious until I was like fifteen, 125 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,599 Sloane Stephens: I got invited. It's like my first like usta like 126 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,120 Sloane Stephens: camp where you go and like they look at your 127 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,479 Sloane Stephens: game and you get I guess, like chosen from like 128 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:30,400 Sloane Stephens: one of the best players in the country, and like 129 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:32,800 Sloane Stephens: that was fun. Like that was exciting. But of course 130 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,520 Sloane Stephens: I wasn't the number one in my age groups. I 131 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:37,400 Sloane Stephens: was never like, oh, it's going to be me. Like 132 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:39,280 Sloane Stephens: when I got invited to my first camp, I was like, oh, 133 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,320 Sloane Stephens: hell yeah, it was exciting, right because I never thought 134 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,160 Sloane Stephens: that that would have been me. So I think because 135 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,679 Sloane Stephens: I was like, oh, like this is exciting, Like every 136 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,080 Sloane Stephens: point was exciting, Like every time I got picked for 137 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,440 Sloane Stephens: a camp or in the group to go like to 138 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,240 Sloane Stephens: travel like international or whatever, it was like I was like, 139 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,240 Sloane Stephens: this is great, Like I loved it. And I think 140 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:00,719 Sloane Stephens: it was because I hadn't played for so long. I 141 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,200 Sloane Stephens: hadn't experience like ten years of playing tournaments. I was 142 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:05,240 Sloane Stephens: like three years into playing tournaments, and I was like, 143 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,960 Sloane Stephens: this is so fun. Like I had that excitement up 144 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:09,640 Sloane Stephens: until I was like a little bit older, so like 145 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,280 Sloane Stephens: when kids were kind of dying out and quitting already, 146 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:14,160 Sloane Stephens: I was like just getting it. 147 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:16,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: I was just like, oh, this is fun. 148 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,200 Sloane Stephens: I get to have my first sleepover at a hotel, 149 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,440 Sloane Stephens: like there's no one like checking on us. Like that 150 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,920 Sloane Stephens: was like exciting, right, Like all the other things that 151 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:26,800 Sloane Stephens: had nothing to do with tennis were like very exciting, 152 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,640 Sloane Stephens: and then tennis was just like my vehicle to like 153 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:30,520 Sloane Stephens: do more. 154 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: You obviously come from an athletic family, but before you 155 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: started playing tennis, or even maybe around then, did you 156 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: have visions of what you wanted to be when you 157 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:41,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: grow up, Like did you think it was going to 158 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:42,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: be some version of an athlete or was this something 159 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: totally different? Not at all. 160 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,240 Sloane Stephens: That's so weird because I never wanted to be a 161 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,280 Sloane Stephens: professional atl Like I didn't think that was like so cool, 162 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:51,440 Sloane Stephens: Like I just was like. 163 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: Okay, like I'm here, like yeah, I don't know. 164 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,239 Sloane Stephens: Growing up, probably like when I was a little bit older, 165 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,840 Sloane Stephens: like twelve, thirteen, fourteen, like my family on funeral homes, 166 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:00,680 Sloane Stephens: So I always wanted to be an inbalmer, but it's 167 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,760 Sloane Stephens: nothing to do with tennis, obviously, And before that, I 168 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:05,480 Sloane Stephens: don't remember saying like, oh I want to be a chef. 169 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:07,239 Sloane Stephens: I want to be a professional athlete, Like I don't 170 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,920 Sloane Stephens: really remember that, and I think I always say, like 171 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,480 Sloane Stephens: tennis shows me like I didn't choose cennis, and I 172 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,880 Sloane Stephens: think that sometimes things are just kind of meant to align, 173 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,640 Sloane Stephens: and I think again, Yeah, it just happened this way, 174 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:20,520 Sloane Stephens: and like it was good. 175 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:21,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: I loved it. 176 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,520 Sloane Stephens: It was competitive, Like I love everything about tennis, and 177 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:25,680 Sloane Stephens: like I never woke up one day saying like I 178 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:26,840 Sloane Stephens: want to be a professional tennis player. 179 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:28,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: But like, as it happened, I was like, this is 180 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:30,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: kind of cool. It's so funny. As you're talking through this, 181 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: I realized that this might not be striking to you, 182 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: but there is a lot of interest in the business 183 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: of funerals. Oh really, and like the fat I mean 184 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:40,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: six feet under is a huge Yeah, I know that's true. 185 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:41,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: I feel like the fact that you were a little 186 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:43,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: kid who wanted to be an embalmer is actually like 187 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:48,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: we should pause here. It's actually quite interesting. Everyone says 188 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:50,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: that they're like what, I'm like, yeah, it's so cool. 189 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:51,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: It was a family business. 190 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,760 Sloane Stephens: Yeah, and like I think a lot of the times 191 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,360 Sloane Stephens: my whole family worked at the funeral home, so there 192 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:57,960 Sloane Stephens: was multiple so like to hang out with like my 193 00:08:57,960 --> 00:08:59,679 Sloane Stephens: family or like my cousins or like my uncles, Like 194 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,480 Sloane Stephens: I'd have to go there and like see them like 195 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:04,000 Sloane Stephens: they were working. So it was like the work day, 196 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,640 Sloane Stephens: and I'd be like, oh, let's have lunch, let's do this, 197 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,000 Sloane Stephens: and I just kind of got used to it, and 198 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,880 Sloane Stephens: I really kind of this may sound word, but like 199 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,920 Sloane Stephens: learning the business was like fun, Like it was like 200 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,360 Sloane Stephens: a new thing obviously, and like there I don't think 201 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,680 Sloane Stephens: there was six feet under at that point, but learning 202 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,200 Sloane Stephens: the cremation and like how to do that and like 203 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,280 Sloane Stephens: how to like take care of bodies and how to 204 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:28,560 Sloane Stephens: you know, like when someone passes on, like the respect 205 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:30,960 Sloane Stephens: that you'd want your family member to receive, like all 206 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,920 Sloane Stephens: of those things. Like I think the emotional and like 207 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,280 Sloane Stephens: delicate part of that I thought was always like really interesting. 208 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,600 Sloane Stephens: And then we had an invalvemar at the funeral home 209 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,480 Sloane Stephens: and her name is Jamie, and I loved her and 210 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:44,600 Sloane Stephens: she was so great and she taught me everything, and 211 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,959 Sloane Stephens: like she was so patient and like just like finding 212 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,360 Sloane Stephens: out about bodies and like all the things they have 213 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:51,160 Sloane Stephens: to do, and like, yeah, like it was just like 214 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,160 Sloane Stephens: a thing that I was like, this is actually really cool. 215 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:56,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: Do you think it informed your perspective at that time? 216 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:58,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: Like as a young kid, I mean, it seems like 217 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: keep a very very high emotional dielligence at a young 218 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:05,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: age to be so aware that people were being respected 219 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:08,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: in their last as they depart. So do you think 220 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: it influenced your perspective? I think so. 221 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,440 Sloane Stephens: I feel like I've experienced so much in my life, 222 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:15,640 Sloane Stephens: and I think at a young age, like experiencing that 223 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,839 Sloane Stephens: I kind of always had this sensitivity to death or 224 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,679 Sloane Stephens: people passing away, and like, I don't know, like how 225 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:23,520 Sloane Stephens: you want to be treated, Like you want your family 226 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:25,840 Sloane Stephens: member to be treated with like kindness, and like even 227 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:27,640 Sloane Stephens: as they're pass on, you don't want their bodies to 228 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:30,240 Sloane Stephens: be like rough housed. You want them to be treated 229 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:32,079 Sloane Stephens: with care, and like some families come and like dress 230 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,440 Sloane Stephens: their family members, and some of them come and like 231 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,040 Sloane Stephens: pray over them, and like everyone has their own thing 232 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,359 Sloane Stephens: that they do. And I feel like in life and 233 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:41,840 Sloane Stephens: even like in my professional career, everyone has their own 234 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,439 Sloane Stephens: things that they do, and death is just like one 235 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,480 Sloane Stephens: of those things that it happens to everyone, happens to 236 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:50,000 Sloane Stephens: us all. And my life, death has been so striking 237 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:52,960 Sloane Stephens: for me. Both of my stepdad passed away from cancer, 238 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,480 Sloane Stephens: My biological dad passed away in a car accident. Both 239 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,760 Sloane Stephens: my my grandparents passed away in COVID seven days apart 240 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,040 Sloane Stephens: from me other. So I've had a lot of very 241 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:06,240 Sloane Stephens: emotional deaths in my family, which some have been obviously 242 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,800 Sloane Stephens: immediate and like tragic with like my dad and the 243 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,080 Sloane Stephens: car accident and then cancer that was a very long 244 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,920 Sloane Stephens: drawn out process. So I feel like I've been through 245 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,480 Sloane Stephens: a lot of like the sequences of death. And then 246 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,240 Sloane Stephens: obviously my family owned a funeral home, like I kind 247 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:21,760 Sloane Stephens: of was like more in tune with like what was 248 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:23,400 Sloane Stephens: going on and like how it works and like the 249 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,320 Sloane Stephens: planning process and like all of that stuff. So yeah, 250 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,040 Sloane Stephens: death has been a big part of my life, which 251 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,760 Sloane Stephens: is kind of like weird and like strange to say, 252 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,040 Sloane Stephens: but I think it's definitely like changed my perspective on 253 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,280 Sloane Stephens: like living and just like being on earth and like 254 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,120 Sloane Stephens: living every day to the fullest and like appreciating life. 255 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: I think that definitely has had an effect on me. 256 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:45,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: Before she knew it, Sloan was on the fast track 257 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: to going through She reached a junior ranking of number 258 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:53,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: five in the world, and when three major girls doubles titles. 259 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 3: Lone, Stevens hopes to reach her first Grand Slam final. 260 00:11:57,559 --> 00:11:58,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: Stay tuned for. 261 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 3: The Junior Report Girl's Action, The last American girl standing, 262 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 3: Sloane Stevens look to reach her first Grand Slam Singles final. 263 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 3: She would have to get past number one Daria Gavrilova 264 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 3: to get there. Stevens came out firing, but drop the 265 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 3: first set seven to five. That seemed to get her 266 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 3: amped up, as she's cruised through a quick six to 267 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 3: one second set win. 268 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,079 Emily Tisch Sussman: Soon she went pro and quickly reached the top one hundred, 269 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: becoming the youngest player in the top one hundred of 270 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: the Women's Tennis Association. But her family did their best 271 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,199 Emily Tisch Sussman: to maintain a sense of normalcy. 272 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:34,839 Sloane Stephens: I feel like I've had like a very normal, normal life, 273 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,839 Sloane Stephens: because nothing about a professional tennis player is normal and 274 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,520 Sloane Stephens: nothing about the life is normal. But I feel like 275 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:42,840 Sloane Stephens: for the most part, I had a very like I 276 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:45,360 Sloane Stephens: was able to skip things and like go to family events, 277 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,960 Sloane Stephens: and I was able to like still lose and like 278 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,560 Sloane Stephens: go to sushi, like I still, like you know, was able, 279 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:52,960 Sloane Stephens: Like my grandparents were still traveling a bit like with 280 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,800 Sloane Stephens: me up until like twenty seventeen. My grandparents, like I 281 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:57,760 Sloane Stephens: had to turn them in Hawaii, like they came like 282 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,120 Sloane Stephens: a lot of my family like really was involved in 283 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,319 Sloane Stephens: my tennis and like my journey, so like going to tournaments, 284 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:05,920 Sloane Stephens: like someone would meet me there, like my aunt Jen 285 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,040 Sloane Stephens: would come, my uncle see, like whatever. It was like 286 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:10,640 Sloane Stephens: everyone was always really supportive and I never felt like 287 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:13,560 Sloane Stephens: I was like alone per se, where I feel like 288 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,080 Sloane Stephens: a lot of tennis players are often very much alone, 289 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:17,840 Sloane Stephens: like when they leave home and like they go to 290 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,760 Sloane Stephens: another country or whatever. It is, Like I never felt alone, 291 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:22,840 Sloane Stephens: and I never felt that I was like isolated. So 292 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,600 Sloane Stephens: every time I you know, every time that I started 293 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,000 Sloane Stephens: a new season or something new, I never had that 294 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:29,400 Sloane Stephens: feeling of like this isn't normal. 295 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:30,559 Emily Tisch Sussman: Like it was just very like. 296 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,560 Sloane Stephens: Okay, like everyone cares, like everything involved, and I feel 297 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:36,079 Sloane Stephens: like that was like everything that I did at home, 298 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,240 Sloane Stephens: I also did when I was playing and when I 299 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,079 Sloane Stephens: was traveling and I was on tour, So it made 300 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:41,720 Sloane Stephens: it kind of gave me a little bit of balance. 301 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: You've alluded a little bit to the fact that it's 302 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:46,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: not a normal life. Can you tell us more about 303 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:49,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: what the actual like day to day is, how it 304 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:52,839 Emily Tisch Sussman: is abnormal. Yeah, So we're not a team sports. Everything's 305 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: by yourself and like I guess your team, but it's 306 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:58,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: like your coach, your physio and like whoever, like a 307 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:00,839 Emily Tisch Sussman: friend who you may travel with, and every week is different. 308 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:02,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: You pay for all your own expenses, pay for all 309 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:04,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: your own flights, you book all your own flights, to 310 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:06,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: book all your own hotels. You're traveling to a different 311 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: city every single week. You're responsible for yourself and then 312 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:11,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: three people with you or four people with you, whoever, 313 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: and literally every week could be different, as in your 314 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:16,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: bags to get lost this week, and next week, your 315 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: coach could be sick. The week after that, someone could 316 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: stub their toe and be injured, and you can't play 317 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:22,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: the tournament. And like there's. 318 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:25,720 Sloane Stephens: Always like things that are happening, but they're also happening 319 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,320 Sloane Stephens: six thousand miles away from home or five thousand miles 320 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,320 Sloane Stephens: away from home, which makes it very abnormal because you 321 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:33,160 Sloane Stephens: have no support. You just have the people that are 322 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:35,520 Sloane Stephens: with you, like the people that are like basically you're 323 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:39,000 Sloane Stephens: responsible for and that are responsible for you. So I 324 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Sloane Stephens: think in terms of like going to a tournament, you 325 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,520 Sloane Stephens: kind of you know, like this is like the routine. 326 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:45,880 Sloane Stephens: You go to a tournament. You get your badge, you 327 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:48,560 Sloane Stephens: get your credentials, you go on site, you practice every day, 328 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,440 Sloane Stephens: you go eat dinner, you get your massage, you do 329 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,400 Sloane Stephens: all of those things you check off right, but they're 330 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:55,560 Sloane Stephens: like by yourself. You have to like plan all those things. 331 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,640 Sloane Stephens: Everything is on you to plan to make sure it 332 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:01,480 Sloane Stephens: gets done. And with the travel and with the Grand 333 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,320 Sloane Stephens: Slams and like the Olympics and like all these things happening, 334 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:06,520 Sloane Stephens: it's a lot. I feel like a lot of people 335 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,160 Sloane Stephens: are just like you appear and it's fine. I'm like, no, 336 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,120 Sloane Stephens: my flight was late six hours and I just sat 337 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,080 Sloane Stephens: in the airport and just waited, and then I showed 338 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,120 Sloane Stephens: up here and I played the match today. Some people 339 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:17,320 Sloane Stephens: just don't know like the things that you go through, 340 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,360 Sloane Stephens: and that's totally fine. But it's like, I think every 341 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:21,000 Sloane Stephens: week people expect you to show up and be your 342 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,880 Sloane Stephens: absolute best, and I feel like sometimes that's actually very 343 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,040 Sloane Stephens: hard considering like the circumstances or whatever it is that's happening. 344 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:29,840 Sloane Stephens: I've probably in my career been to fifteen tournaments. Wacked 345 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,040 Sloane Stephens: my bags did income, and I didn't have a racket, 346 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:33,920 Sloane Stephens: I didn't have any clothes, and I was like wearing 347 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,120 Sloane Stephens: like Madison's clothes and shoes. Totally fine, just like out here. 348 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,360 Sloane Stephens: But it's fine, Like I think, it's just like a 349 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,400 Sloane Stephens: normal thing. But you never like say, oh my bag's income. 350 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,560 Sloane Stephens: Oh my Like it's just something that you like deal 351 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:46,880 Sloane Stephens: with and then figure it out later. 352 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: Sloan made her first big splash onto the tennis scene 353 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:55,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: when she beat Serena Williams at the twenty thirteen Australian Open. 354 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:58,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: The shock heard round the tennis world. 355 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 3: Nineteen year olds Stevens taking out one of the greatest 356 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 3: players ever to laced on a pair of tennis shoes 357 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 3: very way off. 358 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:12,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: That's a point in fact, two of them. Then daniar 359 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:18,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: Ald American against the bright Serena Williams in this. 360 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 4: Quarter final and that's it. 361 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:23,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: Stevens the lava. 362 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 3: She is swoll to semi finals, says the Freda. 363 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:37,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: Then the three say Serena Williams three said seven sixty upset. 364 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:42,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: Similar to the game of tennis, the game that can 365 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:46,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: switch point by point, Sloan's career did the same. Despite 366 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: her big win, she still had to put in the 367 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:50,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: work to make her dreams come true. 368 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,840 Sloane Stephens: But I think in the sport and like how I've 369 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,120 Sloane Stephens: dealt with things is like when I my goal was 370 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:58,480 Sloane Stephens: to win a Grand Slam and I didn't win a 371 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:00,280 Sloane Stephens: Grand Slam, and my coach is like one of the 372 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,640 Sloane Stephens: coaches I had when I was like younger, he was like, 373 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:05,240 Sloane Stephens: it's not if, it's when, and so like I always 374 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,560 Sloane Stephens: just like, Okay, one day, it's like going to happen. 375 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:10,120 Sloane Stephens: It's meant to be, Like it's in the universe. It's 376 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,359 Sloane Stephens: it's already there. I just have to like wait and 377 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,040 Sloane Stephens: have to work hard and I have to get there, right, 378 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:17,080 Sloane Stephens: And like I always just like believed that, not necessarily 379 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:18,480 Sloane Stephens: thinking like oh, I'm going to win a Grand Slam 380 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,280 Sloane Stephens: for sure. It was just like that moment will come 381 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:23,920 Sloane Stephens: or whatever, right, And I think that so many times 382 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:27,520 Sloane Stephens: in our lives we want something so bad, but we 383 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,640 Sloane Stephens: didn't realize, like we didn't take the step to get there, 384 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,639 Sloane Stephens: Like we didn't like walk in the direction of whatever 385 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:34,720 Sloane Stephens: it is that we wanted, whether that be like me 386 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,480 Sloane Stephens: physically like playing tennis and working on my server or 387 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:40,480 Sloane Stephens: whatever it is, or in like this new entrepreneurial role 388 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:42,639 Sloane Stephens: that I that I have starting this company is like 389 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:44,680 Sloane Stephens: I don't want to spend a lot of money because 390 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,200 Sloane Stephens: it's expensive, right, but I'm like to do that. I 391 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,119 Sloane Stephens: have to spend money to make money, Like I have 392 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:52,520 Sloane Stephens: to walk in the direction of like, Okay, I'm going 393 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,400 Sloane Stephens: to take some risk and then eventually I hope I 394 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:57,399 Sloane Stephens: will be rewarded, right, And I think that goes for 395 00:17:57,440 --> 00:17:59,560 Sloane Stephens: everything in life. Is like you do have to take 396 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,520 Sloane Stephens: the steps to like start whatever it is, and that 397 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,359 Sloane Stephens: took the hardest part, Like the first step is the 398 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,520 Sloane Stephens: hardest part. And I think when you take the first step, 399 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,280 Sloane Stephens: then you can follow it up with two and three 400 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,040 Sloane Stephens: and four and you can count from there. But if 401 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:14,040 Sloane Stephens: you don't start, you're starting from nothing, right, And I 402 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,000 Sloane Stephens: think that a lot of the times, it's just like 403 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,520 Sloane Stephens: getting going, like having enough belief or enough like confidence 404 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:21,560 Sloane Stephens: in that day to be like, okay, today is to day. 405 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: And that was the mindset that led Sloan to win 406 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:31,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: the US Open in twenty seventeen May tennis history this 407 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,119 Emily Tisch Sussman: past weekend when she won her first major title the 408 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,119 Emily Tisch Sussman: US Opened. Before the win, she ranked nine hundred and 409 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: thirty four. Now she ranks number seventeen in the world. 410 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:46,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: Please welcome first time US Open Women's champion, Sloan's Stephens. 411 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,439 Speaker 4: Twenty four year old Sloan Stephens. Oh my gosh, she 412 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 4: is a new US Open champion. 413 00:18:52,480 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 5: I had doing everything so comfortably. She's clear on her 414 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 5: decision making and strategically, she is just playing a better match. 415 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:30,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: I always said, the only way to start is just 416 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: to start, and it has to be part of the process. 417 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:38,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: So you can't think too hard, like overthink what that 418 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:39,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: first step is going to be or it's gonna be perfect, 419 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: it's not going to be. Like if you know from 420 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,119 Emily Tisch Sussman: the beginning that not everything you do will end up 421 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:48,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: being the right choice, then everything that where you can 422 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:52,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: take information and then adjust course as you move forward. 423 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:54,119 Emily Tisch Sussman: You don't see it as like being too hard on yourself. 424 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: Oh I made the wrong choice. Yeah, it's like, Okay, 425 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:57,399 Emily Tisch Sussman: now I have more information and I'm going to make 426 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:58,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: a different choice moving forward. 427 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:01,200 Sloane Stephens: But you got to just start. Yeah, you have to start. 428 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:03,280 Sloane Stephens: So many times you talk about it, talk about it, 429 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:05,320 Sloane Stephens: talk about it, even if it's I don't know, Like 430 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:07,280 Sloane Stephens: I feel like there's so many things in life that 431 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,240 Sloane Stephens: you're like we hang on to, like we don't just 432 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:11,920 Sloane Stephens: do it. We don't like rip the band aid off, 433 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,119 Sloane Stephens: we just like linger. I hate lingering. I hate the 434 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,199 Sloane Stephens: lingering phase, Like I'm like, just do it already, Like 435 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,800 Sloane Stephens: what are you waiting on? And I feel like sometimes 436 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:22,720 Sloane Stephens: you get caught in that and then when you go 437 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:25,239 Sloane Stephens: the opposite. Now, I'm like, nope, fire her, get rid 438 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:27,960 Sloane Stephens: of her, do this, do that, buy this, buy this, 439 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,720 Sloane Stephens: hire this packaging lady. Like I'm like, you kind of 440 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:32,520 Sloane Stephens: get in the mode and you feel so much more 441 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,919 Sloane Stephens: confident in like doing those things. But when you're in 442 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:38,520 Sloane Stephens: the lingering phase, that's like that's the death phase. Like 443 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,360 Sloane Stephens: that is like it stops you from doing everything. 444 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: You're just stuck. I'm like, oh, it's a terrible place 445 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:44,679 Emily Tisch Sussman: to be in. 446 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:46,720 Sloane Stephens: But then when you like find the confidence to be 447 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,200 Sloane Stephens: like okay, first step, then you're like, oh, yeah, she's fired. 448 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,239 Sloane Stephens: She's this, she's that. Like you can like actually in 449 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,600 Sloane Stephens: confidence do these things right. And it's like I think 450 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,960 Sloane Stephens: that's where you like find your your true like confidence 451 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,199 Sloane Stephens: or what they call your true like you like figure 452 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,480 Sloane Stephens: it out, and you're figuring it out, and yeah, like 453 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:05,560 Sloane Stephens: just don't linger. 454 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: Slow. Never once lingered, even through all of her injuries, 455 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:15,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: she kept pressing forward, pushing herself. When we come back, 456 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: we talk through how she created a career and a 457 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: life for herself that became an extension of her success 458 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:35,119 Emily Tisch Sussman: on the court. You have definitely lived your life the 459 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: opposite of lingering. No, I can't linger. I cannot do it. 460 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:42,679 Emily Tisch Sussman: Every time you've had like a pause in tennis or 461 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:46,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: an injury or a type you filled it. Oh yeah, 462 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,439 Emily Tisch Sussman: you filled everyone no ways. I mean I pull up 463 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:52,119 Emily Tisch Sussman: my list here, like, yeah, I didn't believe this, Like 464 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:54,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: you filled every single one of them. I mean you 465 00:21:54,720 --> 00:22:00,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: had broadcasting, higher education businesses, found day shit Like can 466 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: you just talk us through each one of these plot twists? Oh? Okay. 467 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:05,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: So I started. 468 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:07,000 Sloane Stephens: I was the only person in my family he didn't 469 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:08,800 Sloane Stephens: have a degree. So I was like, I'm not that's 470 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:10,959 Sloane Stephens: not going to be me. So I decided. 471 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,159 Emily Tisch Sussman: I was like I'm gonna get my undergraduate degree, and 472 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: so I did. It was free. My motto was like 473 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:16,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: if it's free, it's for me. 474 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,960 Sloane Stephens: So I decided to go to college because it was free, 475 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:21,960 Sloane Stephens: and I was like this is great. So I did 476 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,400 Sloane Stephens: that and I ended up getting injured. So I ended 477 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:26,360 Sloane Stephens: up getting injured. It gave me a little bit more time. 478 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,440 Sloane Stephens: I did some broadcasting to get extra credits because I 479 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:30,920 Sloane Stephens: did live TV. Like I was like, okay, like let 480 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:32,280 Sloane Stephens: me figure out this scam, like what am I going 481 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:35,600 Sloane Stephens: to do? And so I did that and I got injured. 482 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:37,680 Sloane Stephens: I was out for eleven months. I played five tournaments 483 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,840 Sloane Stephens: when the US Open was in my last semester of school. 484 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,040 Sloane Stephens: Pretty much failed it for sure because I was like, guys, 485 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,880 Sloane Stephens: I get no. So I finished that out, and then 486 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,840 Sloane Stephens: of course, three months later, the not even three months, 487 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:54,320 Sloane Stephens: like two months later, the lady was like, oh, we 488 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,600 Sloane Stephens: have a scholarship for a master's tree program, and I 489 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:01,240 Sloane Stephens: was like, hmmm, I'll think about it. And three days 490 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,560 Sloane Stephens: before like the scholarship deadline, she was like, have you 491 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:05,600 Sloane Stephens: thought about it? You're gonna do it, and I was like, fine, 492 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:07,520 Sloane Stephens: I'll do it. So then of course I got my 493 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,960 Sloane Stephens: master's degree. And then that was when COVID happened. So 494 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,920 Sloane Stephens: I was like finishing as COVID was killing us and 495 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,320 Sloane Stephens: like all of that was happening. So I finished that 496 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,040 Sloane Stephens: up and I was like, I'm never going back to 497 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,200 Sloane Stephens: school again. That's great, lovely, I'm not gonna. I don't 498 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:22,600 Sloane Stephens: even know what I'm going to do with these degrees 499 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,119 Sloane Stephens: at this point, Like I don't even like use like 500 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,000 Sloane Stephens: pemda's anymore. I don't even like I've used no ever 501 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,280 Sloane Stephens: math problems that I've ever learned, Like I've used literally 502 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,840 Sloane Stephens: nothing that I learned at school. So school didn't like 503 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,160 Sloane Stephens: they didn't teach me anything about three pls and slas 504 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:37,120 Sloane Stephens: and like any of these things. 505 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:38,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: So I'm like, I went to the wrong school. 506 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:42,960 Sloane Stephens: I don't pick the wrong degree obviously whatever, And that 507 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:44,800 Sloane Stephens: was just something that I always just wanted to do. 508 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,080 Sloane Stephens: I was like that was exciting to me, like getting 509 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:48,960 Sloane Stephens: my degree, and like my grandpa came here. 510 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: From Trinidad, he went to Howard, he. 511 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,399 Sloane Stephens: Became an ogun, and like for me, like education was 512 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:58,280 Sloane Stephens: always just something that pushed us forward. And I obviously 513 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,800 Sloane Stephens: wanted to make my grandparents proud, like my mom went 514 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:03,520 Sloane Stephens: to Harvard and my mom has to her doctorate. Everyone 515 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,080 Sloane Stephens: in my family's like very into school. So that was 516 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:07,679 Sloane Stephens: just something that was like a part of me. 517 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:08,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: So I did that. 518 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:10,920 Sloane Stephens: And then in twenty thirteen, when I was a little 519 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:12,760 Sloane Stephens: bit younger, like going back a little bit, I started 520 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:15,440 Sloane Stephens: the Lone Semens Foundation. I was like always like giving 521 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,320 Sloane Stephens: away my money and doing things, and my uncles like, 522 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:18,840 Sloane Stephens: you need to do this in a more organized manner. 523 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,200 Sloane Stephens: So we started the Lone Sevens Foundation, and we are 524 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:24,720 Sloane Stephens: mostly in Compton. We do all of Compton Unified School 525 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,560 Sloane Stephens: District and we service about six thousand kids a year, 526 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:30,920 Sloane Stephens: which is awesome. We do tennis learning. We now have 527 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,919 Sloane Stephens: an esports team. We do soccer, which is super cute. 528 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,280 Sloane Stephens: My husband played soccer for a long time, so we 529 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,960 Sloane Stephens: use him as our like little soccer inspo, which is cute. 530 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,880 Sloane Stephens: And yeah, like we kind of just I love kids, 531 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:43,800 Sloane Stephens: and I think being able to have give the kids 532 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,320 Sloane Stephens: the opportunity to like do cool things that they would 533 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,720 Sloane Stephens: never do, I think is really important. And I think 534 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,280 Sloane Stephens: my journey of like playing tennis and all the amazing 535 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:53,959 Sloane Stephens: things I've been able to do, like tennis has been 536 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,560 Sloane Stephens: my vehicle. But I feel like there's so many different 537 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,760 Sloane Stephens: things and things in the world that kids don't get 538 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,399 Sloane Stephens: to experience just because are on their couch. Like the 539 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:03,960 Sloane Stephens: next best athlete could be like on their couch because 540 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,720 Sloane Stephens: they just are not in gaftter school program, whatever it 541 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:09,200 Sloane Stephens: may be. So we've done a ton of that and 542 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:11,560 Sloane Stephens: that's just like really my passion. I feel like that's 543 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:13,159 Sloane Stephens: what I'm going to do like when I retire. Like 544 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:15,400 Sloane Stephens: I love going down and seeing the kids. I love 545 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:17,640 Sloane Stephens: just like being involved. Like we know, I know all 546 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:20,639 Sloane Stephens: of our families, all of our little like esports captains 547 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:22,879 Sloane Stephens: and like all any thing. So that for me is 548 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:24,919 Sloane Stephens: like really like my passion product that's like my heart, Like, 549 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:26,160 Sloane Stephens: that's what I really love to do. 550 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:33,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: Just this summer, Sloan received the Muhammed Ali Sports Humanitarian 551 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:35,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: Award at the SP's for her work with her foundation. 552 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 4: Please welcome the recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, 553 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 4: Sloan Stevens. When Sloan Stevens established her foundation, the initial 554 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,400 Speaker 4: mission was clear to grow tennis in the local community. Today, 555 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 4: the Sloan Stephens Foundation serves over fifteen thousand students a year. 556 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: Salona is grave. She is the high and everyone how 557 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:01,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: she gets back. 558 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:02,560 Sloane Stephens: To the community. 559 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:04,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: That's just what I want to do now. 560 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:07,120 Sloane Stephens: No limit to what we can do when we pull 561 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:11,520 Sloane Stephens: our resources, relationships and platforms. So let's keep showing up 562 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:14,879 Sloane Stephens: for the next Mia and the next one hundred after that, because, 563 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:18,240 Sloane Stephens: like Muhammad Ali said, service to others is the rentinue 564 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:20,119 Sloane Stephens: pay for your room here on earth. 565 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:25,399 Emily Tisch Sussman: Thank you. But that's not all she's been cooking up. 566 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: Outside tennis. Sloan had yet another plot twist when she 567 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:31,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: started her bodycare company, Doc and Glow. 568 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,720 Sloane Stephens: I started my bodycare brand called doc and Glow, which 569 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:40,280 Sloane Stephens: is named after my grandparents, my grandparents growing up like again, 570 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:43,000 Sloane Stephens: the super supportive of my whole career, in my life 571 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,160 Sloane Stephens: and my tennis and my journey, and like my grandparents 572 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,080 Sloane Stephens: never pushed like always to my mom, like don't push 573 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:48,600 Sloane Stephens: her too hard, like make sure she loves it what 574 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:50,879 Sloane Stephens: grandparents do right. And my grandparents She's picked me up 575 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:54,000 Sloane Stephens: from school and like take me to eat, and like 576 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,199 Sloane Stephens: I just had such a great and strong relationship with 577 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,320 Sloane Stephens: my grandparents. And I feel like when I was starting business, 578 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:01,200 Sloane Stephens: I was like, I want to be connected some way, 579 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,359 Sloane Stephens: Like I want to be able to like really put 580 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:05,040 Sloane Stephens: my all into it, but it needs to be something 581 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:06,439 Sloane Stephens: that I'm like super connected to. 582 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:07,679 Emily Tisch Sussman: So when we're coming out. 583 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:09,560 Sloane Stephens: With names and things, they were like, oh, like off 584 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:12,040 Sloane Stephens: Court and this and that, I was like, nah, like 585 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:14,240 Sloane Stephens: that's not gonna work. So I'm gonna name it something 586 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:15,840 Sloane Stephens: that I really love and I'm passionate about and I 587 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:18,639 Sloane Stephens: can like build my whole story around because I it 588 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,840 Sloane Stephens: relates to me and that's what I really feel. So 589 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:23,479 Sloane Stephens: that's how we got to Dock and Glow. And I 590 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,840 Sloane Stephens: started this business like during COVID and it was like 591 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,200 Sloane Stephens: my COVID baby, like my brain baby that made all 592 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,640 Sloane Stephens: the sense in the world in my head. But wasn't 593 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:34,120 Sloane Stephens: on paper yet, so I like started that process during 594 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:37,119 Sloane Stephens: COVID and then last year in August we launched. 595 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,159 Emily Tisch Sussman: So we're still a newborn. We're a baby still. 596 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:43,000 Sloane Stephens: But it's actually been so fun and like so fulfilling, 597 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,280 Sloane Stephens: like learning something new, something I knew nothing about, something 598 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,560 Sloane Stephens: that I'm not good at, something that I'm like figuring 599 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:51,160 Sloane Stephens: out as I go, something that I'm like learning about 600 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,720 Sloane Stephens: portals and like urban outfitters and like all these things, 601 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:57,680 Sloane Stephens: like that's new and that's fun, and yeah, like I've 602 00:27:57,720 --> 00:27:59,480 Sloane Stephens: just done so many different things, but I've had fun 603 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,000 Sloane Stephens: doing every single thing, and I've been super passionate about 604 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,280 Sloane Stephens: every single thing. And like I don't invest in something 605 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:06,520 Sloane Stephens: unless I love it, like I like have to be 606 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,320 Sloane Stephens: one thousand percent in or I feel like it will 607 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,800 Sloane Stephens: never work. Like I feel like you have to again 608 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:13,840 Sloane Stephens: like that step forward, like you have to have two 609 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,359 Sloane Stephens: feet in to make it actually thrive and bloom and 610 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,840 Sloane Stephens: like see it grow. And that's what I've done with 611 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,440 Sloane Stephens: like those four buckets, and I'm proud to see like Okay, 612 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:22,960 Sloane Stephens: like I got my degrees, Like I did what I 613 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:24,800 Sloane Stephens: needed to do, Like I'm proud of that. Like the 614 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:26,840 Sloane Stephens: foundation is going amazing, Like I'm proud of that. We're 615 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,640 Sloane Stephens: servicing so many kids, that's so great. Like with Doc 616 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,800 Sloane Stephens: and Glow, Like we earned two retailers already, and we're 617 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:34,840 Sloane Stephens: like doing all these we just got a Gem Amenities 618 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:36,639 Sloane Stephens: project and like all these things are happening, and like 619 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:37,280 Sloane Stephens: I'm proud of that. 620 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: But it's like I'm all in with those things. So 621 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: it feels really good. How can you? So I say 622 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:44,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: this as a place with someone who is also very 623 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:45,239 Emily Tisch Sussman: all in. 624 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 6: Yeah, if I do something, it's all the way. Yeah, 625 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 6: So I really feel that, Yeah, how do you keep 626 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 6: all of these things going? Like you've had the foundation 627 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,960 Speaker 6: going at this point for a twelve years. Yeah, plus 628 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 6: you're continuing to play professional tennis, building a startup, which 629 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 6: many people find to be more than full time. 630 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: Yeah. How And again I say this coming from a 631 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:07,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: place to someone who really knows, Like, if I'm all in, 632 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:09,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: I'm all in. Like, if you're really all in, how 633 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:11,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: do you manage all of those things at the same time. 634 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:15,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: I don't I just perfect, But I don't. I just 635 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:17,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: I'm day to day. I feel like I have a 636 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:21,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: really good team, a strong supportive team. I am not 637 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:23,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: afraid to delegate like, if I can't do it, I 638 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:24,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: don't know it, Like, I'm not going to pretend that 639 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:25,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: I do. 640 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:26,920 Sloane Stephens: I'm going to find someone who does. I'm going to 641 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,160 Sloane Stephens: hire the person that can do it properly. I'm not 642 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:31,480 Sloane Stephens: the person who's like, oh, I can do all things. No, 643 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:33,280 Sloane Stephens: I can't. I'm not good at that. I'm not good 644 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:35,760 Sloane Stephens: at this. I don't know the logistics person from dat 645 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:38,040 Sloane Stephens: afraid and blah blah blah. I don't like, I'm going 646 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,120 Sloane Stephens: to hire someone who can figure it out. And instead 647 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,960 Sloane Stephens: of trying to force fully do everything myself, I'm not 648 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:45,720 Sloane Stephens: afraid to be like, figure it out, find somebody who'll 649 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:47,920 Sloane Stephens: do it. And I think that that's really helped me 650 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,400 Sloane Stephens: manage like all of the things because I'm not afraid 651 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:53,760 Sloane Stephens: to just say, like I actually, for the next three months, 652 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,520 Sloane Stephens: I can't do this because I'm getting ready for A 653 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:57,360 Sloane Stephens: B and C. So someone else is gonna have to 654 00:29:57,400 --> 00:29:59,600 Sloane Stephens: do it. And I'm okay with that, Like that's totally fine, 655 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:01,840 Sloane Stephens: Like it's a okay to like delegate and give it 656 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:03,720 Sloane Stephens: to someone else, like they can figure it out. I'm 657 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,280 Sloane Stephens: going to pay them to figure it out. And That's 658 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,000 Sloane Stephens: been a really important part of my life like and 659 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,120 Sloane Stephens: my tennis career. I'm just going to make sure that 660 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:13,719 Sloane Stephens: I can give myself like all of those resources and 661 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,240 Sloane Stephens: like use them adequately so that I don't suffer and 662 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:18,640 Sloane Stephens: I don't struggle. And I understand a lot of people 663 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,479 Sloane Stephens: don't have that many resources, but like use what you have, 664 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:23,400 Sloane Stephens: like use what's in front of you. And I feel 665 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:25,560 Sloane Stephens: like when I didn't have anything when I was like eighteen, 666 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:27,320 Sloane Stephens: and I didn't have a ton of money to travel 667 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:29,120 Sloane Stephens: and do all those things, like you just made it work, 668 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:30,760 Sloane Stephens: whether it be your mom or your brother or like 669 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:33,480 Sloane Stephens: a family, like whatever it is, Like you make it 670 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:35,200 Sloane Stephens: work with the resources you have, and then you build 671 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:37,280 Sloane Stephens: those resources and you network and you figure out more 672 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,040 Sloane Stephens: people and you figure out more ways to like make 673 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,240 Sloane Stephens: it happen for yourself. And I feel like I've done 674 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,000 Sloane Stephens: that really well because I don't know, like again, as 675 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,360 Sloane Stephens: a tennis player, my life has been so sheltered and 676 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:48,880 Sloane Stephens: so focused on like being a professional athlete that like 677 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:52,160 Sloane Stephens: I haven't learned all of these things. But like I'm 678 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,120 Sloane Stephens: the best networker, I'm the best resourcer, I'm the best, 679 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:57,880 Sloane Stephens: like I can make it happen, And I feel like 680 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:01,320 Sloane Stephens: that's a big part also of being successful these you 681 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:03,479 Sloane Stephens: have to figure out who and what can do what 682 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:05,600 Sloane Stephens: for you, how they can do it, how efficiently they 683 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:07,200 Sloane Stephens: can do it, and how they can help your team. 684 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,720 Sloane Stephens: And that's like also more than half the battle. 685 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:15,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: After the break, Sloan takes us through the more personal 686 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: side as we talk about the relationship of being a 687 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:36,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: professional athlete and building a family. Stay tuned. You've also 688 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:39,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: talked about fertility and being a professional athlete, which I 689 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:41,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: think is only a topic that we're going to talk 690 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: more and more about with the inclusion of women's athletes 691 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:47,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: and women's sports in more center culture. And this actually 692 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: pertains across sectors that women are often really rising in 693 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: responsibility and rising in leadership, like not just in athletics, 694 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:58,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: but in business as well, at the point where if 695 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:01,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: they want to be caring and conceiving a child, like 696 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: this is the time, Like this is the fertility moment. Yeah, 697 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:05,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: this is the moment. Yeah, so how are you How 698 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:07,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: have you thought about that? How are you thinking about that? 699 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:09,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: Has it played in? Yeah? 700 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:13,640 Sloane Stephens: So I've frozen my eggs twice, which I this is 701 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:15,240 Sloane Stephens: always so weird because I always said that I wanted 702 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,160 Sloane Stephens: to have a surrogate I don't know why, but my 703 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:19,680 Sloane Stephens: aunt did it like twenty years ago, and I was like, 704 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,320 Sloane Stephens: I'm going to do that. I don't know why, guys, 705 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,760 Sloane Stephens: I really have no idea why this came to me. Why, 706 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:26,920 Sloane Stephens: I don't know. But I always had this vision of 707 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,480 Sloane Stephens: having a surrogate. I'm not sure why, truly, I like 708 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:30,160 Sloane Stephens: think about all the time. 709 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:33,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: I don't know why. Anyways, So I always knew that 710 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:35,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: I was going to play tennis for a long time. Obviously. 711 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:37,320 Sloane Stephens: I turned thirty two last week, and like, I don't 712 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:39,160 Sloane Stephens: know what my timeline is. I don't know when I'm 713 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:40,719 Sloane Stephens: going to be able to have a child. I don't know, 714 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:42,360 Sloane Stephens: like maybe next year could be the best year of 715 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:44,320 Sloane Stephens: my career, and I don't want to retire. I have 716 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,480 Sloane Stephens: no idea, truly, And so freezing my eggs was just 717 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,520 Sloane Stephens: a part of like being proactive and like making sure 718 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,040 Sloane Stephens: that I have the option when I was ready. I 719 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,400 Sloane Stephens: don't know, Like I honestly don't know. So for me, 720 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:58,440 Sloane Stephens: freezing my eggs was like that's like my security blanket. 721 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:00,960 Sloane Stephens: I know that one day I will be able to 722 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:04,160 Sloane Stephens: unfreeze these babies and like make them real people, and 723 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,000 Sloane Stephens: like that would be the goal. But just having the 724 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:10,440 Sloane Stephens: option on your terms when you want to do it. 725 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,040 Sloane Stephens: I feel like is really important. Like a lot of 726 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:15,920 Sloane Stephens: people's dreams is to have a family. And like, of course, 727 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:18,120 Sloane Stephens: if I retired from tennis at thirty five, and like 728 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,120 Sloane Stephens: I didn't have that option, like I'd be a little worried, 729 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:21,880 Sloane Stephens: Like I'd be like, oh, hey, what do I do now? 730 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:24,239 Sloane Stephens: Like this has to work, this has to go well. This, 731 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:26,200 Sloane Stephens: like I have to be able to conceive and like 732 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:28,960 Sloane Stephens: get pregnant right away, Like all those things would be 733 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:33,560 Sloane Stephens: super stressful on me and would limit my opportunity to like, 734 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,040 Sloane Stephens: you know, have children or maybe whatever, like I don't 735 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:39,640 Sloane Stephens: know down the line. And so being proactive, I think 736 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:41,120 Sloane Stephens: is the best thing that you can do. So that's 737 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:43,440 Sloane Stephens: why I chose to freeze my eggs, obviously not knowing 738 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:45,160 Sloane Stephens: how long I'm going to play tennis, what I'm going 739 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,800 Sloane Stephens: to do. And I think it's hard because obviously as 740 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:51,680 Sloane Stephens: a male athlete, you have you literally never have to 741 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:55,760 Sloane Stephens: think about this literally ever. And seeing like our counterparts 742 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,160 Sloane Stephens: playing men tennas traveling like we're traveling with them and 743 00:33:58,200 --> 00:33:59,160 Sloane Stephens: they never have to leave the sport. 744 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:00,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: They can play till they're four. 745 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:03,240 Sloane Stephens: It's so easy and it's like, I'm so jealous, Like 746 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:05,000 Sloane Stephens: you don't get a period, you don't have to carry 747 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:07,719 Sloane Stephens: a baby, you don't have to do anything. Yet we 748 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:09,799 Sloane Stephens: don't have any like rules in place or things in 749 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:14,000 Sloane Stephens: place to actually make sure that we're supported. We're supported, 750 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:15,520 Sloane Stephens: so if you do want to freeze your eggs or 751 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:17,520 Sloane Stephens: you do want to take maternity leave, like I think 752 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:19,719 Sloane Stephens: a lot of areas have gotten better, Like a lot 753 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:23,000 Sloane Stephens: of sports have gotten better, like women's tennis soccer, like 754 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,279 Sloane Stephens: they have one's national team. Like we've taken steps, but 755 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:28,800 Sloane Stephens: like we need more steps, Like we need more advancement 756 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,080 Sloane Stephens: obviously with these rules and things like that, to like 757 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:33,959 Sloane Stephens: cover people who do want to start a family, because 758 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,000 Sloane Stephens: I think it's like you shouldn't have to choose between 759 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:37,359 Sloane Stephens: your career and your dream. 760 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: One of the first guests that I had on She 761 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:42,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: Pivots that I knew from the beginning when I started 762 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:44,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: the show I wanted to have on was Alison Felix, 763 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:47,839 Emily Tisch Sussman: the Olympian The Runner because she was able to move 764 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:52,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: policy from the sponsor perspective. Yes, because so many athletes, 765 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: especially in individual sports, it's not the sport that pays 766 00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:58,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: them really the money to keep going into the sponsorships. Yeah, 767 00:34:58,239 --> 00:34:59,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: and so she was able to move the needle on 768 00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:02,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: that by blowing the conversation open and having an opit 769 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:04,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: in the New York Times and really starting that conversation 770 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:08,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: about sponsors not dropping athletes once they become pregnant. On 771 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:12,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: the tennis side, is their conversation around it? Like how 772 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:15,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: did you think to take those steps? Was it something 773 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:17,759 Emily Tisch Sussman: that you put upon yourself? Is their locker room conversation? 774 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:20,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: Do you have sponsors that talk to you about it? Like? 775 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:22,279 Emily Tisch Sussman: Is it existing? How is it building right now? 776 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 5: No? 777 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:25,880 Sloane Stephens: This I'm again me being like my own person and 778 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:29,400 Sloane Stephens: doing my completely my own things all the time. I 779 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,200 Sloane Stephens: just like this is what I'm doing and you guys 780 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:34,440 Sloane Stephens: can know, and like this is what I'm regardless of 781 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:35,719 Sloane Stephens: if you guys help me or not, Like, this is 782 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:37,960 Sloane Stephens: what I'm doing. So that was completely on me. And 783 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:40,439 Sloane Stephens: as people have spoken about it more and we've talked 784 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:43,520 Sloane Stephens: about it more. I think WTA just launched a maternity 785 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:46,120 Sloane Stephens: fund last month, I think it was or this month, 786 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,560 Sloane Stephens: Like it just happened, and I feel like it's not 787 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,280 Sloane Stephens: spoken about enough, Like it's such a hidden like thing. 788 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:52,960 Sloane Stephens: But when I froze my eggs up at the first 789 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:55,160 Sloane Stephens: time I've recruited like twenty five people to like to 790 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:55,880 Sloane Stephens: freeze their eggs. 791 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:57,279 Emily Tisch Sussman: I'm like, you must do this. 792 00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:01,440 Sloane Stephens: I guess you are that person. Or people are texting 793 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:02,560 Sloane Stephens: me like oh what should I do. I'm like, do 794 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:05,120 Sloane Stephens: it now, Like you have six weeks, do it now. 795 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:07,600 Sloane Stephens: And I think that that is important. I feel like 796 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:10,240 Sloane Stephens: sharing your story is important, so it helps other people. 797 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:11,959 Sloane Stephens: But it's like been a thing that like you don't 798 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:13,840 Sloane Stephens: talk about. It's such a secret. 799 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:16,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: I feel like I hear two conversations as you're just 800 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:20,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: talking through this that I could definitely see converging here. 801 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: One is that now that I spend more time talking 802 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:27,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: to femal professional athletes, the focus on your body and 803 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:29,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: it feels like you really need to control a lot 804 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:32,279 Emily Tisch Sussman: of the input output exercise rest, like you know, you 805 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:35,839 Emily Tisch Sussman: think a lot about your body. And also women who 806 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:38,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: have trouble conceiving really feel the guilt of that, like 807 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:40,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: that something is wrong with their body. And so I 808 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:43,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: can see the convergence of those two things being like 809 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:44,759 Emily Tisch Sussman: an explosion. 810 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:47,960 Sloane Stephens: Yeah, but that's something The pressure of that is like 811 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,319 Sloane Stephens: like a ton truck like on you, because it's like 812 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,560 Sloane Stephens: something that you so badly want again, and it's something 813 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:55,960 Sloane Stephens: that sometimes it's not something that you can control. But 814 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,520 Sloane Stephens: then like even going through that process of like men 815 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:01,080 Sloane Stephens: don't go to the doctor like as much as women do, right, women, 816 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:02,919 Sloane Stephens: like you have to go, You're getting your blood tests, 817 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,840 Sloane Stephens: you're doing all of these things to make sure that 818 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:07,800 Sloane Stephens: this can happen. But like on the other hand, like again, 819 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:10,440 Sloane Stephens: men love you, but like if you don't have to 820 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:13,160 Sloane Stephens: deal with it, So it's like it's it's it's hard, 821 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:15,400 Sloane Stephens: and especially when you put that just being a normal 822 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:17,480 Sloane Stephens: human being, not being a professional athlete. So then when 823 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,440 Sloane Stephens: you put being a professional athlete on top of that, 824 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:21,279 Sloane Stephens: where like your teams are also on top of you 825 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,000 Sloane Stephens: to like stay in shape, to eat real, to sleep well, 826 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,200 Sloane Stephens: to do all these things, Like that's also pressure in 827 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:28,439 Sloane Stephens: itself to make sure that you're performing on the field 828 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:30,839 Sloane Stephens: and doing your job well. Like there's like a lot 829 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:33,560 Sloane Stephens: of things that go into it. And I think it's 830 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:35,960 Sloane Stephens: like now we're talking about it more, which is great 831 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:37,759 Sloane Stephens: because it's not a secret, Like it's not something that 832 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:39,319 Sloane Stephens: we need to like hide, like it's not something we 833 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,080 Sloane Stephens: need to be ashamed of. Like this is conversation, Like 834 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:46,319 Sloane Stephens: this is your life. And I feel like it's it's 835 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:47,480 Sloane Stephens: just not spoken about enough. 836 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:49,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: Yeah, right, And the only way to normalize it is 837 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:56,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: just to tell everyone all the time. 838 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:57,840 Sloane Stephens: And recruit everyone you know to pree their eggs or 839 00:37:57,880 --> 00:37:59,600 Sloane Stephens: get a check up, or go see the doctor, like 840 00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:02,520 Sloane Stephens: get your blood check, like whatever it is. Like, make 841 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:04,399 Sloane Stephens: sure that you're spreading the word and telling the next 842 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:06,319 Sloane Stephens: person so that you can be helpful in some way. 843 00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:09,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: Yeah, is there It can be something that we've talked 844 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:11,439 Emily Tisch Sussman: about or doesn't have to be. Is there something that 845 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:13,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: you saw as a real low point for you at 846 00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:16,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: one point and now in retrospect, you see it as 847 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:18,759 Emily Tisch Sussman: having really launched you into the person or position that 848 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:19,319 Emily Tisch Sussman: you're in now. 849 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:22,799 Sloane Stephens: I would say, okay, not to go back to death. 850 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,440 Sloane Stephens: But I feel like at the beginning of my career, 851 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:29,000 Sloane Stephens: my dad and my stepdad both died early, which I 852 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:32,880 Sloane Stephens: was like sixteen and I was fifteen and seventeen around, 853 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:37,840 Sloane Stephens: and I feel like because I had like a better appreciate, 854 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:39,640 Sloane Stephens: like that was like the lowest point. Like I found 855 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:42,319 Sloane Stephens: out over the phone and at the US Open in 856 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:44,719 Sloane Stephens: the parking lot that my dad had passed away, And 857 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:46,520 Sloane Stephens: it was like nine o'clock in the morning and I 858 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:48,120 Sloane Stephens: was sitting in front of the credential office and I 859 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:49,680 Sloane Stephens: was like what is Like? 860 00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:52,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: I was like so confused. I'm like, what is happening? 861 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:56,200 Sloane Stephens: Like this is like a complete life crisis at the moment, 862 00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:59,680 Sloane Stephens: and again a very low point in my life, just 863 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:02,120 Sloane Stephens: as like a sixteen year old, like seventeen year old 864 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,240 Sloane Stephens: like figuring it out. I was playing junior US Open, 865 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:06,840 Sloane Stephens: Like I flew to the funeral, I came back and 866 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:09,200 Sloane Stephens: played another match that I won, and like there's just 867 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:11,160 Sloane Stephens: like a lot of things happening. But I feel like 868 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:14,759 Sloane Stephens: because I experienced those things, I was sitting in the 869 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,600 Sloane Stephens: parking lot learning that my dad had died at seventeen, 870 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:20,520 Sloane Stephens: and then at twenty five, I was holding the trophy 871 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,799 Sloane Stephens: at the US Open, winning the tournament. I feel like 872 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:26,600 Sloane Stephens: those moments prepare you. You don't know why, you don't 873 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:28,959 Sloane Stephens: know like what the like why the low point? 874 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:30,319 Emily Tisch Sussman: Why? Like how you got here? 875 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:32,279 Sloane Stephens: Obviously I know why my dad had passed away, but 876 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:34,800 Sloane Stephens: like you're thinking to yourself, like why is this happening 877 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:37,319 Sloane Stephens: to me? Why am I here? And I feel like 878 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:39,920 Sloane Stephens: after my stepted had passed he had cancer. He was 879 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:41,799 Sloane Stephens: one who really like played tennis with me and got 880 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:43,880 Sloane Stephens: me into it. I was super confused, So I was like, 881 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:45,160 Sloane Stephens: do I want to play tennis? Like did I want 882 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:47,520 Sloane Stephens: to play tennis only because it was fun and it 883 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:49,759 Sloane Stephens: was a family thing, Like I didn't like I was 884 00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:51,960 Sloane Stephens: kind of confused, right, And that was like another low point. 885 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,440 Sloane Stephens: So like I feel from like sixteen to seventeen, I 886 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:57,480 Sloane Stephens: really questioned like my identity as a tennis player and 887 00:39:57,560 --> 00:39:59,960 Sloane Stephens: if I wanted that to even be like my identity 888 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,560 Sloane Stephens: because there was like some very like low points in 889 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:04,720 Sloane Stephens: that those couple of years, and I was like, I'm 890 00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:07,280 Sloane Stephens: really not sure, but like I feel like that prepared 891 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:09,200 Sloane Stephens: me to be like the person I am today, but 892 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:12,040 Sloane Stephens: also like it prepared me to be the competitor that 893 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:15,040 Sloane Stephens: I was. Like as I had a professional career, like 894 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:17,719 Sloane Stephens: I felt like I was ready for anything, right, Like 895 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:20,759 Sloane Stephens: nothing gets worse than that, Nothing gets worse than like 896 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:23,240 Sloane Stephens: a phone call of your parent dying playing a tennis tournament, 897 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:25,319 Sloane Stephens: like there's like nothing that was like going to be 898 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:28,000 Sloane Stephens: worse than that. So I was like, oh, I'm good. 899 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:30,440 Sloane Stephens: Nothing will beat me, like I can only beat myself. 900 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:32,799 Sloane Stephens: And I think that that was like my perspective like 901 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:35,640 Sloane Stephens: throughout my career, so I never felt that I was 902 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,080 Sloane Stephens: I was never beaten, Like the only person that ever 903 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:39,560 Sloane Stephens: beat me was myself. Like I would go out and 904 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:40,960 Sloane Stephens: like not play well, but I was like, oh I 905 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:41,520 Sloane Stephens: beat myself. 906 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:42,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: She didn't beat me. 907 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:44,000 Sloane Stephens: And I feel like that was something that I always 908 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:46,839 Sloane Stephens: carried with me that just kind of helped me get 909 00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:49,239 Sloane Stephens: through like the bad days, because I always was like, 910 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:52,160 Sloane Stephens: you know, tennis is my identity. But like I can 911 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:55,000 Sloane Stephens: still go home, like I have a wonderful family, Like 912 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:57,279 Sloane Stephens: I can still go and like see everyone I love, 913 00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:59,040 Sloane Stephens: I can call like the people I love, like I 914 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:01,040 Sloane Stephens: can I have people that I can count on, And 915 00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:03,440 Sloane Stephens: like the lowest day, I feel like I lived through 916 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:05,799 Sloane Stephens: that already, and I lived through it twice, so I 917 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:07,279 Sloane Stephens: was like, yeah, it's just me. 918 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:09,399 Emily Tisch Sussman: Do you think you'll pivot again? 919 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:13,320 Sloane Stephens: Of course I'm gonna pivot like fifty more times because 920 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:15,799 Sloane Stephens: I love it. I feel like there's so much opportunity 921 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:17,640 Sloane Stephens: in the pivot, right, there's so much space. I always 922 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:19,480 Sloane Stephens: say there's so much space, and there's so much opportunity. 923 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:22,360 Sloane Stephens: There is a million ways to go, there's a million 924 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:25,040 Sloane Stephens: things that you can do, and I just feel like 925 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:27,440 Sloane Stephens: I can do all of those things, and like I 926 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:29,239 Sloane Stephens: may not be successful at all of them, but like 927 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:31,680 Sloane Stephens: that's just gonna put me somewhere else. That's going to 928 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:34,000 Sloane Stephens: put me on another base and then pivot from that 929 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:35,840 Sloane Stephens: to go into something else. And I feel like the 930 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:38,080 Sloane Stephens: pivot is what makes you who you are, right. You 931 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:41,239 Sloane Stephens: learn a lesson every single time you have to pivot, right, 932 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:43,080 Sloane Stephens: whether good or bad, Like there may be a pivot 933 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:45,680 Sloane Stephens: that's like leads you into something more amazing, like something 934 00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:49,000 Sloane Stephens: that you're like, oh, this is why I was doing that, like, 935 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:52,239 Sloane Stephens: and I feel like that's always something that people are 936 00:41:52,239 --> 00:41:55,239 Sloane Stephens: so afraid to pivot again, like taking that first step. 937 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:58,520 Sloane Stephens: They're afraid to like make that first move, and I'm like, 938 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:01,920 Sloane Stephens: take the steps. Everybody, come with me, like we're doing this. 939 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,200 Sloane Stephens: And I feel like the pivot is what you have 940 00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:08,279 Sloane Stephens: to really embrace in order to find your true north, 941 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:11,799 Sloane Stephens: like where you're going and the people who are If 942 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:14,960 Sloane Stephens: you linger, you never figure it out. If you pivot 943 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:17,160 Sloane Stephens: and you're like, this is where I'm going. It may 944 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,200 Sloane Stephens: not be where I want to go or what I 945 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:22,640 Sloane Stephens: want to do, but I'm here for a reason and 946 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:24,000 Sloane Stephens: this is how I got here, and we're going to 947 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,320 Sloane Stephens: figure it out. And that's like that's a joy of pivoting. 948 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:30,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: Thank you. So much for being on No, thank you 949 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:36,319 Emily Tisch Sussman: so much. This is great. Sloan is still playing professionally 950 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:39,239 Emily Tisch Sussman: and is still full of plot twists. She's working as 951 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:42,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: a commentator while still building doc and Glow and growing 952 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:46,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: the Sloan Stephens Foundation. Keep up with her on her 953 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:50,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: many pivots on Instagram at Sloan Stevens. Talk to you 954 00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:55,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: next week. Thanks for listening to this episode of she Pivots. 955 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:58,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, leave 956 00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:00,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: us a rating and tell your friends about it us. 957 00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:04,239 Emily Tisch Sussman: To learn more about our guests, follow us on Instagram 958 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:07,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: at she Pivots the Podcast, or sign up for our 959 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:10,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: newsletter where you can get exclusive behind the scenes content 960 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:17,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: on our website at she pivots thepodcast dot com. This 961 00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:21,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: episode was produced and edited by Emily Atavelosk, with sound 962 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:25,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: editing and mixing from Nina Pollock. Audio production and social 963 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:29,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: media by Hannah Cousins, research by Christine Dickinson, and logistics 964 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:33,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: and planning by Emma Stopic and Kendall Krupkin. She Pivots 965 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:37,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: is proud to be a part of the iHeart Podcast Network. 966 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:40,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: I endorse she Pivots