Sloane Stephens was knocked out of the U.S. Open after a surprising first-round defeat.
The 2017 champion won the first nine games against Clara Burel from France but then lost 0-6, 7-5, 7-5 on Monday night.
Stephens started the match on Arthur Ashe Stadium and seemed ready to finish quickly. She won the first set in just 21 minutes and went up 3-0 in the second set after breaking Burel’s serve twice.
However, Burel managed to break Stephens’ serve and then won the second set after breaking again when Stephens was serving for the match.
In the third set, Stephens had another chance to serve for the match with a 5-4 lead, but Burel broke her serve again and won three straight games to secure the victory.
This is the second year in a row that Stephens has been eliminated in the first round.
