"Retire", "One of the most disappointing one-slammers" - Fans annoyed over Sloane Stephens' dismal display in Wimbledon 2R loss

Sloane Stephens suffered an embarrassing exit from the ongoing 2024 Wimbledon Championships. The former World No. 3 was thoroughly dismantled 1-6, 1-6 by rampant Russian Diana Shnaider in the second round. Much of the one-sided result was due to Stephens' own poor showing rather than Shnaider's brilliance, and fans who have seen the 2017 US Open champion fall from grace were once again left questioning her attitude.

Sloane Stephens made her WTA Tour debut back in 2008, and over the next few years, cemented her status as one of the promising youngsters in women's tennis. However, it took her until 2017 to become a household name, courtesy of her title triumph at that year's US Open. The 31-year-old has also won six other titles on the WTA Tour, with her most recent taste of glory coming at the 2024 Open de Rouen.

Despite Stephens' undeniable talent and promise, she has often faced criticism for never dedicating herself wholeheartedly to tennis. This was evident again during her loss to Shnaider, where she looked lethargic and at times appeared to be running short on motivation. Unsurprisingly, tennis fans across Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) reacted to her latest woeful display.

One set of fans expressed their frustration at the fact that Stephens has, for the most part over the course of her career, failed to capitalize on her talent.

"This is why she's one of the most disappointing of the one-slammers on the WTA. The ability and talent are clearly there, but she's 30, and spent the last 4-5 years (her peak years) on auto-pilot doing the bare minimum when she could have achieved so much more. Nothing more annoying than wasted potential," one fan wrote.

"Sloane’s team needs to take her to a good doctor and perform all sorts of tests! She plays like she doesn’t give a (profanity emoji), if the doctors determine that everything is good then the team has to talk with her: “Do u want to be the best version of yourself or not!?”If not then retire!" another fan commented.

"Sloane perfectly content being a professional tennis player with minimal effort. Can’t say I blame her. Shnaider is an amazing young talent though, can’t knock her effort," another fan chimed in.

Another set of fans suggested that Stephens shows up at tournaments only to get her hands on the appearance fees, and doesn't really care much about how well she performs.

"Sloane Stephens is an absolute genius. Just show up to all these tournaments, try for 1 round, make 100k and go back home. You have to respect it," a fan wrote, sarcastically.

"Stephens plays so many matches where it looks like she doesn't care at all lol. It's almost Tomic-esque at times," commented another fan, citing controversial Australian Bernard Tomic's example. Tomic has garnered plenty of negativity for often tanking matches.

"Sloane you just tweeted "Locked in" after your win yesterday, not this again," another fan chimed in, referring to Stephens' tweet after her first-round win over Elsa Jacquesmot.

"I still think Sloane Stephens can have a great run at a Major" - Pam Shriver in 2023

Sloane Stephens in action at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships

While Sloane Stephens' inconsistencies have earned her many critics, there are some who still believe that the 2017 US Open winner has what it takes to muster a deep run at a Grand Slam. Pam Shriver happens to be one of them.

In 2023, ahead of the US Open, Shriver said that despite Stephens' stuttering form, a fire still "burns" within the former World No. 3, which can propel her to the later stages of a Major.

"She’s a leader for women’s tennis. She has a rich, full complicated life. But I have a feeling that deep inside, she still burns with it. I still think she can have a great run at a major," Shriver told Tennis Channel.

Unfortunately, the majority of Sloane Stephens' performances of late have been marred by an inexplicable lack of effort. Since Shriver expressed her feelings about Stephens last year, the latter was ousted in the first round of the 2023 US Open, the third round of the 2024 Australian Open, the first round of the 2024 French Open, and most recently, the second round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.