Sloane Stephens of the U.S. returns the ball to compatriot Serena Williams during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Monday, June 1, 2015 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Rest assured, Sloane Stephens says, “the fire is still there.” After the 22-year-old American lost in the French Open’s fourth round for the fourth consecutive year, she was asked whether the tight, two-hour match against Serena Williams might “sort of re-ignite” her inner fire.
“The flame was never dead,” she replied. “I’m motivated. I’m happy. I’m excited to be playing.”
Another reporter followed up by asking whether Stephens has made a conscious effort to be “showcasing” her “fire” on court.
“No, I think you guys just see what you want to see. … You write what you want to write, you see what you want to see, and you definitely never know what’s going on with the person,” Stephens responded. “So I think all of that together gets mixed up in one, and then you guys come out with this: ‘She’s not happy. She doesn’t look like she wants to play.’ That’s not the case at all. I love tennis. I love my job. The fire is always lit.”
Then, spreading her arms wide, she said: “The flame is like this big.”
