Who is Sloane Stephens’ Father, John Stephens?

American tennis player Sloane Stephens hails from a family of athletes. While her mother was a swimmer at Boston university, Sloane Stephens’ father, John Stephens, was an NFL running back.

She is not known to have the best of relationships with her father. Her parents had a divorce when Sloane was an infant. She used to speak to her father sometimes over phone and did not meet him until she was 13. She had spoken about the importance of parents after the death of her father.

“I think any parent that ever supports their child — you could be me one day,” Sloane explained after her US Open triumph. “So parents, never give up on your kids. If they want to do something, always encourage them.”

Who is John Stephens?

John Milton Stephens was born in Louisiana on February 23, 1966. He started playing in the National Football League (NFL) when he was New England Patriots’ first round draft pick in the 1988 NFL Draft.

He was a running back from Northwestern State University in Louisiana. He won the rookie of the year award in 1989. Stephens spent six seasons in NFL from 1988 to 1993. After playing four seasons for the Patriots, Stephens spent a year each with the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Stephens was married to All-American college swimmer Sybil Smith. In 1993, the couple gave birth to Sloane Stephens. They also have a son, John Stephens Jr, who plays football at TCU.

John Stephens’ death

When Sloane was just 16, her father John passed away in a tragic car accident. She was competing in the U.S. Open junior tournament at the time of the incident. Stephens died in Keithville, Louisiana, on September 1, 2009 in a car accident.

“I was sitting right in front of the transportation tent, and my sister called me and was, like, ‘Dad died last night in a car accident,’” Sloane had recalled about the tragedy as per Sports Illustrated. “I was hysterical.”