It has been quite an eventful start to the new season of tennis. The year started with the top player in men’s singles, Novak Djokovic, getting entangled in a visa controversy at the Australian Open. However, the action shifted onto the tennis courts soon after. Local favorite Ashleigh Barty won the Australian Open title. Further, Rafael Nadal created history by becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles.

The Spaniard’s grit and determination paid off as he scripted a famous come-from-behind victory over Daniil Medvedev in the summit clash. Moreover, he left the entire tennis fraternity in awe of his performance, as congratulatory messages started to pour in. Recently, the former US Open champion Sloane Stephens has revealed her admiration for Nadal.

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Sloane Stephens picks out Rafael Nadal as her dream mixed-doubles partner

The American tennis sensation was involved in a question-and-answer session with her fans on her official Twitter handle. Further, a fan asked her, “Who would be your dream mixed doubles partner?” Replying to the question, she said, “Has to be Rafael Nadal.”

On the singles front, Sloane Stephens has had a disappointing start to the season. She went down fighting to Emma Raducanu in the first round of the Grand Slam Down Under. She fought hard but could not overcome her higher-ranked opponent. Moreover, her singles ranking has taken a major beating. She has dropped to the 57th position in the WTA rankings, from a high of Number 3, which she achieved in July 2018.

Further, the American would be looking to get her campaign back on track as she prepares for the upcoming tournaments. She will next play at Abierto Akron Zapopan in Mexico, which is a WTA 250 tournament.

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