Sloane Stephens divorces from Jozy Altidore

Sloane Stephens (Robbie Mendelson, Wikimedia Commons)

According to Bailey Richards of People Magazine on Sunday, American tennis player Sloane Stephens is divorcing from American soccer player Jozy Altidore. The couple married in early January of 2022. Altidore is 36 years old and Stephens is 32 years old.

Stephens pulled out of the Merida Open in Mexico this week after announcing the separation according to the Times of India. We are not sure if Stephens’s withdrawal from the Merida Open is directly connected to the separation or because of the high amount of crime currently taking place in Mexico.

As a result of the withdrawal, Australia’s Priscilla Hon has taken over from Stephens in Mexico. Hon defeated Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the first round on Tuesday. Hon broke Zarazua seven times in the match.

Stephens of Plantation, Florida, is best known for winning the 2017 United States Open. In the final, she beat Madison Keys in an all-American matchup quite easily by a score of 6-3, 6-0. Prior to marrying Altidore, Stephens was in a relationship with former American doubles specialist Jack Sock.

Despite both being American, Stephens and Altidore have a Canadian connection. Stephens once reached the 2018 Rogers Cup Final in Montreal, Quebec before losing to Romania’s Simona Halep, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4. Altidore, meanwhile, was a striker for Toronto FC for seven years from 2015 to 2021. In that time he had 62 goals in 139 games and helped Toronto FC win the 2017 MLS Cup title. Altidore was the 2017 MLS Cup MVP as he scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 Toronto win over the Seattle Sounders.

This past year, Stephens won the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award. Through her foundation, she has helped build tennis courts in Florida and California for underprivileged students to play on.