Tennis star Sloane Stephens shares mantra to rigorous work ethic with LSU star Flau'jae Johnson: "It is something that you have to train"

Flau'jae Johnson invited a special guest to her latest podcast, "Best of Both Worlds." Grand Slam winner Sloane Stephens appeared on the show to discuss her journey as a tennis player and how young athletes can learn from her experiences.

Flau'jae Johnson asked Stephens how she built up a strong work ethic toward the sport that she loved.

"It's something that a lot of people just have in them...I loved playing tennis. I really enjoyed, you know, getting out there and competing. I loved going to summer camp, I loved learning a forehand. I loved the basics of the game, which I think led me to love the actual competition and being a professional athlete," Stephens said.

"Some kids and people are just born with that inside of them, that drive, that determination, that competitiveness or whatever it is. But it is something that you have to train. Like, you're not just gonna be competitive but it just carries you through. You have to get out there, want to compete, want to fight, and want to go against and play against the best," Stephens added.

Sloane Stephens' strong work ethic helped her rise to as high as No. 3 in the world rankings. She also won the US Open in 2017, her lone Grand Slam title to date.

However, she suffered an early exit from the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. She was defeated 1-6, 1-6 by Diana Shnaider in the second round.

Flau'jae Johnson and her mother retell a hilarious story from the time her reality show days

Flau'jae Johnson player had always been musically gifted thanks to her dad, who is still known for his rap verses. Her passion for creating music and coming up with catchy bars landed her the opportunity to become a contestant on "The Rap Game" when she was 13 years old in 2017.

To support her daughter in her musical journey, Johnson's mom, Kia, applied for a three-month leave from her job, although it was not easy for Kia to get the holidays. But as it so happened, she found herself pregnant with Flau'jae Johnson's younger brother, Nixon. This serendipitous incident allowed Kia to take a maternity leave without compromising her pay.

The two talked about this incident in detail on the LSU hooper's newest podcast, "Best of Both Worlds."

Flau'jae Johnson asked her mom, "Can you say that or is that illegal? What you told at your job to get out of there."

"As you know Flau'jae always says I'm dropping babies," Kia began. "Well, just so happened I tried to take a leave of absence because I knew about the show, 'The Rap Game.' When I went to them, they was like, 'We can't give you 90 days off work' and I was like 'Who not?'

"So just so happened, I went to the doctor and I was pregnant with Nixon."So he said, '...We might need to put you on bedrest for a couple months.' I took the letter to my job, just so happens, it's the same time as I need a leave and go on the show with Flau'jae."

Johnson's music career took off when she released her debut album "Best of Both Worlds" on June 28. The album features nine songs and a blockbuster collaboration from Lil Wayne, NLE Choppa, and 2Rare.