Sloane Stephens gets 100% real about struggles with bettors amid absence from WTA Tour

Sloane Stephens opened up about how "crazy betters" have caused her to rethink the things she puts out on social media. Currently, the American tennis star is on an injury hiatus with no immediate return date planned.

During a recent appearance on the 'She's So Lucky' podcast, Stephens and the host, Les Alfred, discussed how they do not reveal their entire personalities on social media. The duo talked about how some things are reserved for real life, and people on social media are not aware of that part of their lives.

Further, Stephens revealed that as a professional athlete, she has received 'crazy messages' on social media.

"I had so many crazy messages after the match that I was like, "Oh, we shouldn't do a birthday post," because it's gonna be like, all the comments are just gonna be people — crazy betters or whatever. So it's hard to manage," Sloane Stephens said (from 15:00).

The 32-year-old emphasized that social media doesn't truly reflect who she is or how she feels internally.

"But I think that, again, my personality and feeling good about who you are on the inside, no matter what it looks like on social media... Social media is not real life. Again, that's not my real personality. It is — you can see my life, you can see my photos, you can see what I'm doing," she added.

She explained that she keeps her emotions guarded due to the times we live in, and despite how things may look online, it's rarely the full story.

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Sloane Stephens revealed the threatening and racist messages she received after her US Open 2021 loss

Sloane Stephens at the Dubai Tennis Championships - Source: Getty

Sloane Stephens' remarkable victory at the 2017 US Open marked the highest point in her tennis career. However, the years that followed were marked by inconsistency. This led to increased scrutiny from the media and online trolls.

In 2021, Stephens faced a third-round defeat to Angelique Kerber at the US Open, and this is when the situation got out of hand. She revealed that after her loss, she received over 2,000 abusive messages, many of which were racist and threatening.

Over the years, the American has revealed several occasions when she has received such messages on social media. However, she is attempting to rise above it and go about her life as she wants.

In on-court matters, Stephens is currently on a 10-match losing streak extending from the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. This season, she holds a 0-4 record but has not played since February due to an injury.