Former US Open Tennis Champ and Olympian Sloane Stephens Commits to Play Inaugural Austin125

American tennis star—previously ranked as high as #3 in the world—joins slate of fan favorites participating in newest WTA tournament in Austin next month

AUSTIN, Texas – Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion and Olympian, has committed to play the inaugural Austin125—the newest WTA 125 tournament—which will run from November 3-9, 2025 at the Austin Tennis Academy at Spanish Oaks (6800 Spanish Oaks Club Boulevard).

No stranger to playing competitive tennis in Texas, Stephens, who reached the quarterfinals at the inaugural ATX Open in 2023, was also the first player to commit to play the 2024 ATX Open.

Stephens will be joined at the Austin125 at Spanish Oaks by Peyton Stearns, who led the University of Texas Longhorns to back-to-back NCAA team titles in 2021 and 2022, and Ajla Tomljanović, the Australian star who reached the semifinals of the 2025 ATX Open. The newest WTA 125 event will feature 32 singles players and eight doubles teams.

The recipient of the 2023 Women’s Catalyst Award, which is presented in partnership with Google and the Austin Community Foundation Women’s Fund, Stephens was honored for her philanthropic work with the Sloane Stephens Foundation. The Sloane Stephens Foundation was started in 2013 and aims to improve opportunities for underserved youth through education, fitness, and sport. The Catalyst Award is given annually to a women’s tennis player who has been a role model to other players, is involved in her community, and advocates for women in sports.

“2025 has been a hard year. It’s never fun to be sidelined by an injury, especially for six months. But as I’ve said before, ‘You win or you learn, but you never lose. Everything that you go through in life teaches you something; it all happens for a reason.’ I am drawing inspiration through my recovery and return to the court,” said Sloane Stephens. “Being able to play the inaugural Austin125 brings me joy and excitement. I was a part of the inaugural ATX Open, too. I really enjoy playing in front of the fans in Austin. They show a lot of love and appreciation. I can’t wait to get back out there.”

The winner of eight titles on the Hologic WTA Tour, in 2017, Stephens claimed her maiden Grand Slam title on home soil, winning the US Open. In 2018, she reached the French Open Finals and WTA Finals.

Stephens has spent much of the 2025 recovering from injury and getting back into her top form.

“I know I speak for tennis fans across Texas when I say that we’re delighted to have Sloane committed to play this exciting new tournament in Austin,” said Tournament Director Christo Van Rensburg. “Sloane has been one of the biggest draws on tour for years. After battling injuries for much of the year, we know she’s excited to be returning to competitive action. Any tournament Sloane participates in is a magnet for big competition. We can’t wait to welcome her back to Austin next month.”

Fans can visit austin125.com for a full list of ticketing options, which include:

• Single Session Tickets: Enjoy access to one tournament session
• Center Court VIP Experience: Prime seating with spectacular views plus hospitality suite access
• Championship Weekend and Opening Round Packages: Tickets to sessions across multiple days, featuring cost savings over individual single session tickets
• Duration Packages: Experience all the action with full access throughout the week

There will also be a Kids’ Day celebration on November 2 from 4-6 p.m. CDT, featuring games, face-painting, and opportunities for children to interact with players on-court. More details to come.