Sloane Stephens opens up about nearing retirement

| by Sebastian Dahlman

Sloane Stephens gave insight into her future plans as the American player is far removed from retirement thoughts.

Even though the 29-year-old is still in excellent physical condition, she is aware of the day she will no longer play tennis. She'll be able to make a fairly simple decision because her body will alert her when it's time:

"I think my body will tell me when I'm ready to stop, but I do think I have another three years in me. If I'm 33 when I retire, that sounds nice, so at least another three years."

"When I first started playing tennis, I never thought I'd be this good or make this much money or be ranked as high as I've been. I never thought I'd win a Grand Slam, I was just playing for fun and really enjoying it," admitted Stephens in an interview to OK! magazine.

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That's not so far removed from how other players feel about their success. Many dream of it but most are surprised when it actually happens: "Obviously, as I've accomplished so many great things in my career, I've had some moments where I'm like, 'Wow, I really want a Grand Slam' or whatever it is. It's been an interesting journey and interesting ride."

"I'm happy that I'm still having exciting moments and good times — and I'm still able to enjoy it. I never thought I'd have great accomplishments and do all of these great things. I am appreciative and grateful for the opportunity to be really good at a sport and do something that I like for a living," concluded Stephens.

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