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Sloane Stephens recently played compatriot Taylor Townsend in an exhibition match at the 2024 Atlanta Open on Sunday, July 21. The ATP 250 event will conclude on July 28. This was Townsend's first outing after winning the 2024 Wimbledon doubles, her first Grand Slam title, along with partner Katrina Siniakova.
In Atlanta, Townsend defeated the 2017 US Open champion in straight sets. The players seemed to be having a fun time together while staying competitive and engaging the crowd.
Before the exhibition match, Stephens had gifted tickets to the match to a mother-daughter duo. The mother later took to X (formerly Twitter) to share pictures of their time at the event and thanked Stephens for her generosity. She also shared that they were pleasantly surprised to have received suite tickets that included food and drinks.
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Stephens shared that post and expressed happiness at the duo having a good time:
"They made it to the match yall! Cutest mom and daughter duo. So happy you enjoyed your night," wrote Stephens.
In one of the pictures, Stephens can be seen posing with the mother and daughter. In others, the daughter can be seen holding an Atlanta Open placard, and enjoying the treats that came with the suite tickets.
Sloane Stephens and Taylor Townsend engage with the crowd in exhibition match at Atlanta Open 2024
The exhibition match between Sloane Stephens and Taylor Townsend at the 2024 Atlanta Open was peppered with some lighthearted moments. A couple got engaged in the crowd with the players cheering for them, and Townsend drew a heart in the air for the chair umpire in appreciation. She also kept making remarks to the crowd throughout the match, making her quite popular among the crowd.
Stephens at one point requested a ball girl to play with her in a two-vs-one, while at another point Townsend asked the crowd to help her figure out where her opponent was likely to aim her serve.
In a post-match interview, Stephens acknowledged the crowd that made the event special for her.
“Yeah, it was great. Being able to play in a sold-out crowd makes it incredibly special. But I think they obviously come out a little bit more because they don’t get to see as much women’s tennis so to be able to play here in front of a nice crowd was special,” Stephens said as per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution website, ajc.com.
The 2024 Atlanta Open marks the final edition of the ATP 250 event. The ATP has announced the tournament's retirement along with the Lyon Open and the Newport Open this year.
