Disappointing scenes at the US Open featuring one of America’s favorite tennis stars. Sloane Stephens is taking on Frances’s Clara Burel in the first round of the 2024 US Open. Stephens won the first set quite comfortably (6-0) but gave away the second one quite cheaply. Fans are literally annoyed after seeing her horrible performance in the second set.

Stephens was 4-1 up in the second one, but she eventually lost by 7-5. Even in the third set, as per the latest reports, she has now failed to bring things in her favor! As a result, the 2017 US Open champion has now been knocked out of the tournament. What a disappointing moment for a jam-packed Arthur Ashe Stadium!

The American has a win percentage of just 50% this season, but she has already won a title this year at the Open de Rouen. Even in the H2H, she was 1-0 against Burel before this match. So, the fans were expecting a better performance from her on the home soil. Their disappointment is quite obvious, but if we see her track record at this tournament after 2017, well, it hasn’t been that impressive either.

Sloane Stephens’ best record at this venue after her historic triumph in 2017 has been reaching the QF in 2018. After that, she failed to make her presence felt at her home slam. If we take a glimpse at her record in the last five editions, Stephens was knocked out in the first round in 2019. Then, in the next two years, she managed to make it through to the third round. However, in 2022, she was eliminated in the second round. Even in 2023, she faced a similar early exit. Fans have now come out in numbers to take a jibe at the 31-year-old American tennis star.

Fans are shocked to see the former US Open champion, Sloane Stephens, struggle so badly in the R1 match

Several viewers failed to understand what she was doing on the second set. Stephens was literally looking in full control of the match in the first set. She rushed to a 3-0 lead in the next as well. Burel lost 9 games in just 33 minutes! The sudden downfall of Stephens in this match has now become truly undigestible for her fans. “What is Sloane Stephens doing?” wrote a few.

Stephens made her debut on the pro level in 2009. Throughout these 15 years of her journey, she has played multiple matches on the bigger stages of the game. Seeing this experienced campaigner struggle against the number 56 is what makes the fans more surprised. Some of them wrote, “This is the most Sloane Stephens match imaginable.”

Others recalled those golden days in her career during the 2017 season. That year she defeated her compatriot Madison Keys in the final by 6-3, 6-0. She also became the first player using a protective ranking to win a major tournament. This sudden downfall has made the fans say, “Hard to believe that Sloane Stephens won a @usopen.“

Another fan quite rightly predicted what was about to come next after seeing her game in the second set. The fan wrote, “Sloane Stephens was up 6-0 3-0 Sloaney is imploding are we about to do that thing where we say clara burel won this match.” Several claimed this match to be one of the “biggest chokes” in the Open Era!

We know Stephens had previously mentioned, “If I win a Grand Slam, I’m never playing tennis again. That would be the last—I’ll be like, ‘I’ll see you guys never.’ I’m out.” However, after seeing her play in this match, some of the fans said, “Sloane Stephens really about to lose from 6-0 3-0… maybe she should just retire on the spot.” Truly, this has been a really painful moment for her as well as her fans. Do you think she can win another major title in her career ever?