Stephens frustrated in comeback

Two years ago, Sloane Stephens was hoisting the trophy in Washington DC.

On Tuesday, she was a first-round loser at the same event, ranked No.957.

A lot has transpired in that time for the 24-year-old from Florida, who just a few years ago came within a whisker of cracking the world’s top 10.

A foot injury, sustained in the US summer of 2016 and which necessitated surgery in February 2017, restricted her to just one tournament – the Rio Olympics – in the subsequent 11 months. It was a cruel turn of events given Stephens has begun 2016 so promisingly, capturing titles in Auckland, Acapulco and Charleston.

She made a comeback, with arguably little fanfare, at Wimbledon this year, losing in the first round to Alison Riske in straight sets.

On Tuesday came another straight sets loss – this time to world No.2 Simona Halep.

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“It was a good first set,” Stephens offered after the 7-6(3) 6-0 loss. “I got a little frustrated in the second, but with more match play I think it will get better.

“I didn’t play that great in World Team Tennis (before coming to Washington DC) so that was kind of frustrating, but I feel good (physically) – it’s just gonna take matches and just getting out there again.

“I’ve played a certain way for a long time, and to make errors that I normally wouldn’t make, even though I haven’t played in a year, is still very frustrating. I double faulted – I don’t double fault that much. Just little stuff. It’s just hard, coming back – you don’t really know what to expect from yourself.

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“I didn’t play badly; I played the No.2 player in the world. I played a great first set. Just little things, you know, frustrating. Just stuff that you have to deal with.

“Eventually I will beat someone (laughter), so I’m not too worried about that. But I think it’s going to take a while. I haven’t played in a really long time. (It’s about) just getting that consistency back under my belt and just playing a lot more.”

Stephens revealed she’d endured a low point when her foot was rendered immobile in a cast for several weeks.

Yet during that time she dabbled in some broadcast work for Tennis Channel, describing it as the highlight of her year so far.

Who has better hair @GrigorDimitrov or his coach? Better facial hair? Less body hair? ????@SloaneStephens asks the hard-hitting questions ???? pic.twitter.com/omiGVRtVPU

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 14, 2017

“Being able to spend a month with Paul (Annacone), Tracy (Austin), Lindsay (Davenport), Mary (Carillo) … I was in a very sad place in my life, I had a big boot on, a huge walking thing and it was just not fun. So they made it a really good time for me,” she said.

“It was tough. It was six months – I had a big huge cast on, a walking boot, you name it.

“I just really missed tennis, and I wished I could have been playing and I was watching other people play and other tournaments … I just really missed the game. It’s weird not being able to play tennis because tennis is my whole life really – I play every week, I’m travelling, I’m doing this and that. It was tough for me.”