Sloane Stephens: Early Upset at US Open Proves She's the Next American Star

Serena Williams is still the consensus pick to win the US Open, and very few are arguing with that.

But on the horizon, there's a new American star following in her footsteps.

Nineteen-year-old Sloane Stephens proved a lot with her 6-3, 6-4 upset victory over Francesca Schiavone in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday. She proved that she can succeed on yet another big stage; she proved that she can win decisively; she proved that she's only getting better as her young career progresses.

Officially, Stephens is proving to be worthy of the hype. Even her first opponent agrees. After her loss, Schiavone told the Associated Press, via The Washington Post:

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I don’t have a crystal ball to see the future, but I can say that she’s an athlete who has every possibility to produce some great tennis. It’s difficult to say, "So-and-so’s going to be No. 1." … But first of all, she’s athletic. She has long legs. She did some great sprints today. And she can change speeds, change the height of her shots. That’s important.

"

Prior to Tuesday's victory, some still had their doubts because Stephens, after all, is still relatively unproven. She's the youngest woman ranked in the world top 50, according to the AP. She's obviously never won a major. Slowly but surely, however, she's lending credence to the idea that she could, maybe even someday soon.

Now, Stephens has beaten the 2010 French Open victor. She's ranked a career-high 44th in the world. According to the AP, in three of her last four Grand Slams, she's advanced to the third round or better.

Stephens is on her way, officially.

Not only is Stephens earning her chops on the court—she's proving to be the perfect fit for the off-court hype machine. Tennis loves a marketable star, and Stephens fits the bill perfectly. She's ebullient and easy to root for and, most of all, confident.

After her big win on Tuesday, Stephens was asked whether she is tennis' next big thing, and without even pausing, she answered, "She is," according to the AP.

But most importantly, she can play.

There's always the chance that Stephens bows out quickly in the aftermath of Tuesday's big win. The victory wasn't a fluke—it was hard-fought and decisive—but now, the hype is really starting to set in. There's no predicting how anyone will respond to the pressure that accompanies big expectations, especially when it comes to young stars.

But even if her results at the Open from here on out aren't favorable, Stephens has proven that she's a young star worth talking about and a young star worth watching.

She doesn't have to win this one to solidify that. It's already happened.