The US Open was without a recent former champion this year, but she has now returned to the tennis court just a week later.
Aryna Sabalenka defended her US Open title, becoming the first woman to do so since Serena Williams.
Despite the Grand Slam season now being over, there are still WTA tournaments taking place just days later in Guadalajara and Sao Paolo.
The Guadalajara Open has already seen a former top 10 player suffer an emphatic defeat, before a former US Open champion returned to the match court for the first time since February.
Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty ImagesSloane Stephens returns to the WTA Tour for the first time in seven months
Sloane Stephens won the US Open in 2017, and has been ranked as high as world number three.
However, the American has not found much success over the past year, with Stephens currently on a 10-match losing streak dating back to Wimbledon in 2024.
After playing at the Merida Open in February earlier this year, Stephens revealed she had suffered a foot injury and has been out of action ever since.
As a result, Stephens is now ranked outside the top 1000, but she has now officially made her return to the WTA Tour.
After Stephens confirmed she would be playing at the Guadalajara Open, the Mexican city where she has won one of her eight WTA titles, she officially returned to the court for her first round match against qualifier Lucrezia Stefanini.
The 32-year-old did not make the start she would have wanted to, with Stefanini winning the first set 6-4.
However, Stephens began to make a fightback and led the second set 5-3 before the match was disrupted due to rain in Guadalajara.
Rain is back again at the Guadalajara WTA 500 tournament.
Play stopped in the last match of the day:
Sloane Stephens vs Lucrezia Stefanini
Light rain as of now so they’re drying the lines. pic.twitter.com/8On78NeSFN
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) September 10, 2025
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When will Sloane Stephens continue her first round match in Guadalajara?
The disruption of Stephens’ match could not have come at a worse time, as she had the whole night to think about being one game away from the second set.
Stephens and Stefanini are scheduled to return to the court on Wednesday, September 10, straight after the conclusion of the match between Darja Vidmanova and Nikola Bartunkova, which is scheduled to start at 2pm in Guadalajara.
Suspended match between Sloane Stephens vs Lucrezia Stefanini 4-6, 5-3* will resume tomorrow after Vidmanova – Bartunkova match finishes.
Play scheduled to start at 2pm local time. pic.twitter.com/hDaTyy3Cc0
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) September 10, 2025
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However, poor weather is once again forecast in Guadalajara and for the coming days.
Whatever time they do eventually return to the court, it will be Stefanini who will be serving to stay in the second set.
If Stephens does manage to turn things around it will be her first win since beating Elsa Jacquemot in the first round of Wimbledon in 2024.