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Chris Evert congratulated Sloane Stephens after the former US Open champion recently visited the White House and gave a heartfelt speech during the launch of a task force to address online harassment and abuse.
Stephens posted a short video on social media, summarizing her visit to the home of the US Government. The taskforce was initiated by Vice President Kamala Harris. Evert took to social media to express pride in her fellow American's efforts.
Sloane Stephens was accompanied by her mother, her husband, soccer star Jozy Altidore, and her best friend to the White House. They received a quick tour of the Vice President's Ceremonial Office and the West Wing before Stephens proceeded to give a speech on the issue. She also introduced Vice President Harris during the ceremony.
In her speech, Stephens opened up about her personal battle with online harassment and abuse. She expressed that she is usually worried about the unsavory messages that she will receive after losing a match, more than the fact that she lost.
"Many of you might first associate me with being a professional tennis player, which of course is my day job, but it’s not the sound of who I am. I’m a daughter, a sister, a wife, and I’m more than an athlete, more than a label. It is all disregarded when people online seek to harass me and harm me. Whether I win or lose, someone online is mad and they will make it known."
"There have been times when I am walking off the court after a loss and not even thinking about anything related to tennis. I'm just worried as I know what will be waiting for me when I unlock my phone," Sloane Stephens said in the speech.
She further raised concerns at the regularity of these incidents and said she feels unsafe at times as people know where she lives and everything she does. Stephens went public with her experiences after last year's US Open
"I'm here today for them" - Sloane Stephens aims to help those without resources to protect themselves against online harassment
Sloane Stephens further stressed that there are many people without the resources to protect themselves against such incidents. She aims to help protect such people in the fight against online abuse.
"Then I thought about all the people out there who don't have a team filtering their messages. What about them? What about the young boys and girls and people of color or anyone who is terrified that they will be harmed or are driven to harm themselves? I'm here today for them."
"I hope that by hearing these stories and bringing decision-makers together, we can make a difference for everyone, no matter the size of their platform," Stephens said further.
On the tennis front, Sloane Stephens will kickstart her grasscourt season in the second edition of the Bad Homburg Open, a WTA 250 tournament played in Germany. Stephens will participate in both the singles and doubles events at the tournament starting on Sunday, a week before Wimbledon.
At last year's Wimbledon Championships, Stephens defeated two-time champion Petra Kvitova in the opening round before losing a three-set battle to Ludmilla Samsonova in the 3rd round.
