Sloane Stephens says winning her first career title in Washington, D.C. this month doesn't make her feel any different.

Her game says otherwise.

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Stephens snapped off nine aces and did not drop serve dismissing Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-1, 6-2, to roll into the Cincinnati second round.

It was Stephens' fourth career Top 10 win following victories over Serena Williams (at the 2013 Australian Open), Maria Sharapova (at the 2013 Cincinnati) and Suarez Navarro on the grass of Eastbourne in June.

The 30th-ranked American owns the eye-popping speed, electric serve and crunching forehand that make her a threat on all surfaces. Stephens says she's now playing with the urgency and fearlessness to make the most of her skills.

"It took a while. I always knew what I needed to do, to use my strengths, what I needed to do on the court, but I think a big part of that is execution and actually doing it," Stephens told the media in Cincinnati. "Kind of just like playing fearless tennis, getting out there and swinging your racquet like even when you don't think that you should or you're too tight or whatever. I think for me now I'm just kind of like, 'You've got to get out there and play. Like, What are you doing?' There is matches to be won and people to be beat. I have got to get it going."

Changing a mind-set can be as challenging as transforming a stroke. Stephens concedes her initial attempt to play fearless produced some scary results.

"I think at the beginning it definitely didn't work," Stephens said. "I was like trying to play fearless tennis and it was awful. I think it's just playing matches, getting confidence. Once you realize, even if you're having a bad day, you can still fight and you can battle. Like it might not go your way, but at least you're out there trying."

Effort is evident in her game in recent months. Since suffering a listless 6-4, 6-1 loss to Sabine Lisicki in her Rome opener last May, Stephens has posted an 18-5 record. She typically receives strong support in New York and will try to channel the energy and excitement of the city into action at this month's U.S. Open. 

"Going to New York for the rest of my life is going to be crazy," said Stephens, who lost in the 2014 U.S. Open second round. "Like I don't think there will be one year that I go to the U.S. Open and, Oh, it's not hectic. Like that would be the year my U.S. Open would suck. Like it would be horrible.So I think it's good to have all that energy and all that excitement around it, but you definitely gotta learn how to balance it."

Stephens will face the winner of the all-qualifier clash between Mona Barthel and Casey Dellacqua in the Cincinnati second round.

Photo credit: Christopher Levy