Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 18, 2022 Sloane Stephens of the U.S. in action during her first round match against Britain’s Emma Raducanu REUTERS/James Gourley
Sloane Stephens is a winner once more.
The 28-year-old Floridian, who captured the US Open in 2017, claimed her first tournament championship in almost four years on Sunday when she won the Abierto Akron Zapopan. She held on to beat Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic by a margin of 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 to capture the title.
Stephens ranked No. 3 worldwide at one point but entered the match ranked No.57 in the world.
Stephens was undefeated in the first six WTA singles finals of her career, which included a Grand Slam championship at the 2017 US Open and a WTA 1000 crown at Miami in March of 2018.
Sloane Stephens, of the United States, reacts after beating Madison Keys, of the United States, in the women’s singles final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Since winning a title almost four years ago, Stephens was 0-3 in her last three finals. Stephens had not made it to a final since 2018, when she made her appearance in the championship match of the year-ending WTA Finals.
In Guadalajara, Stephens put an end to that drought and added another title, becoming the third American to win a WTA singles title this season. The others are Amanda Anisimova at Melbourne Summer Set 2 and Madison Keys at Adelaide International 2.
Stephens also pulled even at 1-1 in head-to-head matches against Bouzkova.