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Sloane Stephens' unconventional mid-match snack during her third-round clash at the 2024 Australian Open has left tennis fans surprised and amused.
Stephens kicked off her Australian Open campaign with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Olivia Gadecki. She then showcased her resilience by overcoming a one-set deficit against Daria Kasatkina, defeating the 14th seed 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
The American squared off against Anna Kalinskaya for a place in the fourth round. Despite triumphing in the first set, Stephens was unable to secure the win, allowing Kalinskaya to claim a 6-7(8), 6-1, 6-4 victory after a two-hour and 45-minute long battle.
Apart from the riveting on-court action, the match also garnered attention for Sloane Stephens casually enjoying sushi and smoothies during changeovers. The 30-year-old's unique mid-match snack prompted hilarious reactions from tennis fans.
"Smoothies and sushi during a match is crazyyy Sloane," a fan commented.
"Sloane on court with 2 packs of sushi and 2 smoothies is killing me," another fan chimed in.
Meanwhile, tennis writer Bastien Fachan joked that her order would go down in history.
"She may have lost the match, but Sloane Stephens' sushi & smoothie order will go down as one of the all-time sports power snacks," he posted.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Sloane Stephens on Alexander Zverev's ATP Player Council appointment amid domestic abuse allegations: "Would that happen on the WTA Tour? Probably not"
During the ongoing Australian Open, Alexander Zverev dominated headlines after news emerged that he was awaiting a trial in Germany for the domestic abuse allegations brought against him by his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, Brenda Patea.
Given Zverev's recent appointment to the ATP Player Advisory Council, Sloane Stephens was asked about the German holding onto the position despite the allegations. Stephens, who has served on the WTA Players' Council, asserted that such a situation would probably not be tolerated on the WTA Tour.
"I think that the ATP kind of beats their own drum. Yeah, they do what they do on that side. Would that happen on the WTA Tour? Probably not. Again, he's going to trial, and he will be judged by his peers, and we will see what happens after that," Stephens said in a press conference after defeating Daria Kasatkina.
While Stephens has exited the 2024 Australian Open, Alexander Zverev has the opportunity to reach the fourth round of the Major. The German will square off against Alex Michelson in the third round on Saturday, January 20.
