Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Sloane Stephens qualifies for Australian Open, her 1st major tournament in a year

Sloane Stephens qualifies for Australian Open, her 1st major tournament in a year | iNFOnews.ca
Sloane Stephens of the United States plays a forehand return to Olivia Gadecki of Australia during their qualifying match ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (Joel Carrett/AAP Image via AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Sloane Stephens has qualified for the Australian Open, her first major tournament since a first-round loss to top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka at Melbourne Park a year ago.

The 2017 U.S. Open champion entered the qualifying rounds for the season’s first Grand Slam event with a ranking of No. 1,097 after a long stretch recovering from a left foot injury.

She has put together three straight wins in qualifying at Melbourne Park, beating Lucia Bronzetti of Italy 6-1, 7-5 in the third round on Thursday to secure her place in the main draw.

The 32-year-old American reached a career-high ranking of No. 3.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Sloane Stephens qualifies for Australian Open, her 1st major tournament in a year | iNFOnews.ca
Sloane Stephens of the United States plays a forehand return to Olivia Gadecki of Australia during their qualifying match ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (Joel Carrett/AAP Image via AP)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles