Sloane Stephens hopeful to return at 2025 French Open after long injury hiatus

American tennis star Sloane Stephens gave fans an update on her recovery process after being absent from the WTA tour for over two months.

The former World No.3's last match on tour was at the 2025 Merida Open, where she lost in the first round to Petra Martic. Although Stephens had hopes of playing at Indian Wells after receiving a wild card entry, she was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.

The foot injury obtained at the Merida Open prevented Stephens from defending her title at the ongoing Rouen Open, where she defeated Magda Linette in last year's final. However, Stephens made a surprise appearance on The Tennis Channel, where she participated in an interview alongside compatriot Ben Shelton following the American's opening round victory at the Munich Open.

"Me? Honestly, I have no idea," said Stephens when asked by Shelton if she was ready to return to competitive tennis. "I just got my boot off last week but tell your dad I miss him because I love seeing him on TV. I don't know, I'll see you soon, I'll definitely see you at the French."

Stephens will likely need a wildcard entry or to come through qualifying if she intends to participate in Paris, given her ranking has slipped outside the Top 100 and she was not on the women's singles entry list for the clay court Grand Slam.