Grand slam tennis champion Sloane Stephens is planning for her future both on and off the court. While she continues to compete in the world’s top tennis tournaments, she has also taken a significant step towards expanding her family with her husband, soccer player Jozy Altidore. To ensure she doesn’t have to choose between her professional career and motherhood, Stephens has decided to freeze her eggs.
“I’ve always wanted to be a mother and have a large family one day, including both biological and adopted kids. I think it’s all wonderful,” Stephens shared, noting that her mother was one of eight children. She also acts as a mother figure to Altidore’s son, Cameron. Stephens emphasized her lifelong awareness of fertility and maternal health, a perspective influenced by her grandfather, a Howard-educated OB-GYN.
At 31, Stephens is considered a veteran in the tennis world, yet she remains passionate about her sport. However, she wanted to ensure that her focus on tennis does not close any doors to motherhood. “I wanted to freeze my eggs so that I could focus on the present without fearing what doors I might be closing or making more difficult once my tennis chapter is closed,” she explained.
This concern is common among female athletes and career women, who often worry about how parenthood might impact their professional achievements and vice versa. In tennis, taking time off for fertility treatments like egg freezing can affect a player’s ranking, a situation Stephens is striving to change.
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In partnership with Kindbody, a fertility clinic network, Stephens has announced a campaign to raise awareness about egg freezing. Through this campaign, she is sharing her personal journey and highlighting the parallels between the dedication required to be a champion athlete and preparing for motherhood. Stephens is advocating for egg freezing to be recognized as a protected activity in tennis, which would allow women to maintain their rankings for three months while undergoing the procedure. Currently, protected rankings are typically granted for injuries, enabling top players to return to the sport without significant penalties after extended absences.
Stephens’s advocacy aims to ensure that female tennis players have more options and can pursue their professional and personal goals without fear. In a recent interview, she discussed her efforts to support women in tennis and provided insights into her egg-freezing experience and her future plans both on and off the court.
As she continues to make strides in her tennis career, Stephens is also paving the way for future generations of female athletes to balance their personal and professional aspirations more effectively.
