Sloane Stephens on AO Qualifying: Major Step
By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, January 15, 2026
Photo credit: Australian Open Facebook
Last season, a chronic foot injury left Sloane Stephens struggling to run without pain.
This week at Melbourne Park, Stephens was flying high again.
Former world No. 3 Stephens stopped second-seeded Italian Lucia Bronzetti, 6-1, 7-5, to successfully qualify for the Australian Open.
“I mean she’s a very good player and I’ve played her before,” Stephens told Flashscore’s Aaron Murphy in an exclusive interview afterward. “I practice with her on tour quite a lot, so we know each other’s games pretty well. It was always going to be a tough match.
“Closing it out was tough but I’m just really happy to get the win in the end. I played good tennis the whole match so I’m really happy with it.”
It was Stephens’ third straight win and while that may not sound impressive for the former Top 10 mainstay, given Stephens’ injury-induced losing streak last year it’s a massive move forward.
Stephens suffered through a career-worst 13-match losing streak spread through 2024-2025, including an AO first-round loss to No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka last January, as she tried to play through the pain.
Now ranked No. 1,097, Stephens, who played AO qualifying on a Protected Ranking, says she hopes this is a first step forward in her rankings rise.
The 32-year-old Stephens says she’s optimistic she’s got plenty of quality tennis left in her career.
“Yeah! How shocking is that?,” Stephens told Flashscore of her first three-match winning streak since 2024. “I feel like that’s pretty good. It’s interesting when you win three matches and the tournament hasn’t even started yet. I’m happy with where I’m at.
“Obviously there’s a long way to go since I’m on that protected ranking, but I feel there’s plenty of good tennis left. It’s exciting for me.”
The 2026 AO will be Stephens’ first Grand Slam main draw since the 2025 AO, but she has been a major presence during her recovery. Stephens served as a tennis TV analyst for TNT’s Roland Garros coverage and has worked for Tennis Channel in the past.
Of course, Stephens knows all about bouncing back from injury.
The 2017 WTA Comeback Player of the Year was sidelined for 11 months a decade ago and famously made a rousing return knocking off Ash Barty, Julia Goerges, Anastasija Sevastova, Venus Williams and Madison Keys in succession during her inspired run to the 2017 US Open championship.
Can Stephens craft another heroic comeback at this point in her career?
Stephens, who will face a tough first-round clash vs. Karolina Pliskova, said she’s hopeful this AO main draw is a stepping stone that propels her back on track.
“It’s always nice to do well enough to make the second week,” Stephens said. “In general I’m just happy to be playing again and be healthy. It was a big task to come here and play in qualifying as a former Grand Slam champion.
“A lot of pressure and a lot of stress but I think in general I’m happy with that. It’s another stepping stone to getting better and getting back on track and getting my ranking back.”
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