Sloane Stephens confirms extended break from tennis, but still takes pride in role behind camera at upcoming Cincinnati Open

Sloane Stephens recently shared a bittersweet message with her fans as she recovers from a serious injury. The former World No. 3, who has found work as a part-time tennis analyst in the last few months, will be present at the upcoming Cincinnati Open if her new update is to be believed.

Stephens has been on the sidelines since the Merida Open in February this year, where she picked up an unfortunate foot injury. The American hasn't competed on the WTA Tour since then. And while she had initially planned to make her much-awaited comeback by June, those plans have been shelved as her recovery and rehabilitation process has prolonged.

On Monday, Stephens took to her Instagram handle to post a selfie of herself with the Lindner Family Tennis Center - the venue for the 1000-level event in Cincinnati - in the backdrop. In the caption, the 32-year-old rued missing her home tournament.

"Not even playing the tournament this year but still manages to be here very early... 🙃 @cincytennis," Sloane Stephens wrote on her Instagram story on Monday.

Via Sloane Stephens' Instagram stories

The World No. 241 will certainly be missed at this year's Cincinnati Open, where she reached the semifinals in 2017 after coming back from an 11-month injury layoff. The above run gave her enough confidence to go all the way at the US Open, marking her first and only singles Major triumph to date.

During her illustrious career, Stephens has been unlucky with injuries, to say the least. A few months following her 2017 US Open title run, the American suffered a knee injury that hampered the beginning of her 2018 WTA Tour season. She went through a similar issue four years later after suffering a bad fall during her Wimbledon campaign.

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Sloane Stephens on her foot injury hardships: "Setbacks are never easy physically or emotionally"

Former World No. 3 Stephens hasn't competed on WTA Tour since February | Image Source: Getty

In March this year, Sloane Stephens got a little philosophical after withdrawing from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells due to her foot injury. She expressed her feelings about her most recent setback on Instagram, claiming that she "trusted the universe" to help her return to playing tennis again.

"Setbacks are never easy—physically or emotionally—but I trust the universe to guide me in the right direction," Stephens wrote on Instagram in March 2025. "Still waking up grateful every day 🙏🏾 I’ll do my best to get back on court soon! Thank you for all the love and encouragement, love you the most ❤️",

Outside of tennis, the 2017 US Open champion has kept herself busy with photoshoots lately. Last week, she turned up the glam in a blue waist cut-out dress while posing for Bacon Magazine.

Edited by nagpaltusharn25