"0/10 - Do not recommend" - Sloane Stephens reveals unexpected encounter with a bee during her 1R match at  Parma Ladies Open 

American tennis player Sloane Stephens encountered a bee sting during her first-round match against Poland's Magdalena Frech at the WTA Parma Ladies Open tournament on September 26.

The incident happened during the third set of the match when the score was 4-4. The American immediately called for a physio and resumed the match after a brief medical time-out and eventually won the third set. Stephens beat Frech 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the end.

The fourth-seeded Stephens will meet the winner of the match between Danka Kovinic and Oceane Dodin in the round-of-16.

Taking to social media, Sloane Stephens said the experience wasn't a pleasant one.

"I got stung by a bee at 4-4 in the 3rd set during my match today and it was not a pleasant experience. 0/10 - Do not recommend," she tweeted.

Sloane Stephens has had an underwhelming season

Sloane Stephens in action against Iga Swiatek at the US Open 2022. (Pic - Getty Images)

Sloane Stephens has had a mediocre season so far, winning only 13 out of 27 matches she has played.

The 29-year-old American had won just one trophy in the ongoing season when she beat Marie Bouzkova 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 to win the Abierto Zapopan trophy in Guadalaraja.

Stephens' most notable achievement this season remains her quarterfinal finish at the French Open. The former US Open champion beat Jule Niemeier, Sorana Cirstea, Diane Parry and Jil Teichmann before losing to eventual runner-up Coco Gauff in the last eight.

She competed at the US Open and reached the second round following a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Greet Minnen in the first round. She, however, ran into eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the second round and lost 6-3, 6-2.

Stephens recently took to social media to shed some light on her personal life, including her new business ventures. The 2017 US Open winner posted a series of stories on her Instagram profile talking about different aspects of her personal life.

Stephens also shed some light on her new business venture. While the American was careful not to reveal specifics, she stated that the project was inspired and created by and for the people she loved and cared for.

Stephens also opened up about the egg-freezing process she has undergone to ensure there are no complications for when she decides to have a family.

The American also took to social media to voice her thoughts on the occasion of Black Women's Equal Pay Day. After the Parma Open, Sloane Stephens will finish the season by playing in two more tournaments in San Diego and Guadalajara.