Sloane Stephens has been listed as a nominee for the 2024 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, thanks to her dedication to philanthropy through her foundation.
The Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award is a special awards category of the ESPYs, which is an annual event incepted by ESPN to reward individual athletes and sporting teams for their performances in the past year.
The Humanitarian Award is named after boxing icon Muhammad Ali, who was famous not only for his sporting pedigree but also for championing humanitarian initiatives, activism, and dedication to social justice.
It became part of the ESPYs back in 2015. Tennis legend Serena Williams was crowned the inaugural winner thanks to her outstanding contribution to various charitable causes and the use of her platform to advocate for social change.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has been named host for the 32nd edition of the ESPYs, and she will be the fourth woman to do so on July 11th, when it will be telecast from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Stephens, a former World No. 3 on the WTA Tour and now a veteran in professional tennis, was "honored" to make the final list for the award, alongside basketball player CJ McCollum, baseball player Anthony Rizzo, and the Maui Surfing Community.
"Honored to be named a finalist! Proud of the work we continue to do @SS_FDN."— Stephens wrote on X (formerly Twitter)
The 31-year-old tennis player is recognized for the immense work she's been doing away from the court through the Sloane Stephens Foundation, which caters to the needs of underprivileged youth by providing tennis programs such as childhood coaching, educational support, and life skills like leadership.
Since the foundation was invented in 2013, it has helped over 10,000 young children to play the sport annually. It is the second time that she has been nominated for the award (2019), and she will look to join Serena as the only tennis player to win it.
Honored to be named a finalist! Proud of the work we continue to do @SS_FDN 🤍
Announcing the 2024 finalists for the @MuhammadAli Sports Humanitarian Award: • Maui Surfing Community • @CJMcCollum • @ARizzo44 • @SloaneStephens The award is given to an athlete whose continuous leadership has created a positive impact 🙏
