The American talks about her new relationship with Sven Groenevel and how it's just what she needed.
Sloane Stephens is thrilled to not be coachless anymore.

The No.7 seed talked to reporters for 15 minutes on Saturday in Paris, telling them that she has been in Paris a little bit longer than expected thanks to her second-round loss to Johanna Konta in Rome last week.

“I have been practicing,” she told reporters. “This is the longest I have been at a slam ever. It's been actually quite nice. Got a lot of shopping done, got to hang out.”

She later added: “I mean, yeah, I like—being in Paris extra is not—who's complaining? Definitely not me.”

Another thing that the 2018 Roland Garros runner-up is not complaining about is having a coach. She hired Sven Groeneveld, former coach of Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Monica Seles and many others, and is happy to have structure and planning playing a critical role in her life.

“I'm not gonna lie,” Stephens said of the three month period between parting ways with Kamau Murray and hiring Groeneveld. “It sucked. It was not enjoyable. A lot of the time it was—I mean, it was just all over the show. We don't need to go back there. We are totally moving forward.”

Media day at @rolandgarros has a pretty nice view 🌿🌺😍 pic.twitter.com/vltTIIugFe

— Sloane Stephens (@SloaneStephens) May 24, 2019

Some players that co coachless seem to really relish the experience as a chance to step of the treadmill and relax about things, but Stephens seems to have missed the professional guidance of a world class coach, and she’s not shy about admitting that.

“It just wasn't as fun,” she said “I wasn't having fun on the court. Just a lot of things were not where they should have been, and I think now with Sven having some structure and having someone who is, ‘This is what we are trying to get, this is what we need to do,’ like, everything is in order. … In my life, I think that's just what I needed at that moment, and he's been great so far.”

Stephens will open her eighth career Roland Garros appearance with a first-round tilt against Misaki Doi of Japan. The American is slated to face Elina Svitolina in the round of 16 and could potentially face Kiki Bertens in what would be a blockbuster quarter-final if the seeds hold.

It seems that she is approaching the tournament with renewed confidence and vigor. At 26, there is still lots to accomplish for Stephens.

“I think for myself there is only a few things in tennis that I really, really, really wanted to do, and I'm kind of just putting my mind to it now so I can get there and do it, and I can leave the game how I want to on my terms,” she said, before adding with a smile: “I'm not leaving the game any time soon, don't worry…”

The Laver Cup will be a part of the ATP's official calendar going forward.

The Laver Cup and the ATP are partners now.

The news broke on Friday as the men’s tour has announced that it will make the annual event a part of its calendar in addition to providing logistical and operational support such as marketing, social media, officials and physios.

Laver Cup will be held for the third time this September in Geneva, and Roger Federer voiced his support for the move in a statement, saying "As I come closer to the end of my playing career, it's wonderful to know that the Laver Cup will be part of the tour that I've dedicated more than 20 years of my life to. This partnership is a wonderful example of how the tennis family can unite to promote and grow the sport we all love."

Founded by Federer’s agency, TEAM 8, the Laver Cup has been a major success in its first two seasons in Prague and Chicago.

Joining forces: #LaverCup becomes an official part of the @ATP_Tour calendar. #ATPxLAVERCUP #TennisUnrivaledhttps://t.co/h1TZYY0f8y

— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) May 24, 2019

World No.1 Novak Djokovic, who played the event in Chicago last September, also voiced his support. "The Laver Cup is a true celebration of tennis that is loved by the fans and embraced by the players. I experienced it first hand as a player, and as President of the ATP Player Council I'm proud to support this collaboration.”

The event showcases the best talent in men’s tennis in a unique format that in its first two seasons has seen Federer, Nadal and Djokovic join forces on the court. It has been embraced by the fans, who are eager to get a glimpse of the game’s greats in a less formal competition.

"The Laver Cup has struck a chord with fans worldwide in a very short time," said ATP CEO Chris Kermode. "It's been great to see the passionate participation of the players and the response from the fans at the sold-out events in Prague and Chicago. This event has great potential to reach new fans around the world, and all of us at the ATP are excited to include the Laver Cup as an official part of the ATP Tour calendar and have it featured alongside other tournaments on all our platforms."

The 15-year-old American made her first foray into the world of Grand Slam tennis…

The youngest player in the Roland Garros qualifying event—and last year’s Girls Singles’ champion—was handed a convincing loss in her second qualifying match on Thursday in Paris to Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan.

That “young player” would be Coco Gauff, the promising young American whose name you should definitely know by now and probably do.

Watching Gauff up close and personal for the first time since Wimbledon Juniors last summer, I was struck once again by the promise of her game. She strikes the ball clean and mean, plays an aggressive style of tennis that at times can make jaws drop, and appears to be improving at a rapid clip.

Aged 15 years and 2 months, 2018 Roland-Garros junior champion Coco Gauff becomes the youngest female player to win a Grand Slam match (qualies or main draw) since Martina Hingis at the 1995 Australian Open.

She's one of a kind, definitely.#RG19

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) May 21, 2019

Don’t let yesterday’s loss to Juvan fool you—Gauff is very much on the way to making a big splash on the tour but we must remember that she’s barely turned 15 and even an 18-year-old like Juvan, who proved to be a savvy clay-courter and a relentless presence from the baseline, can seem rather mature and experienced when juxtaposed against Gauff.

That should and likely will change in a few years as Gauff, a wildly athletic and graceful athlete that cuts a sleek, menacing figure on court not all that different than the one Venus Williams' cut in her younger years, continues to grow into her body and evolves into a more mature physical presence.

But we digress…

Juvan was the better player from start to finish over the course of her 80-minute 6-3 6-3 victory over Gauff on Thursday and it was still quite interesting to watch Gauff try to deal with Juvan’s made-for-clay game. There were plenty of middle-length rallies and the young American was forced to strike a lot of head-high balls on the forehand side. This is where Gauff struggled to control the rallies. With her lean, sinewy physique, Gauff showed an ability to muscle those high forehands and get them back over the net, but many times ineffectually, and it was during these types of rallies where she was at the mercy of Juvan.

Over time Gauff will likely improve in this regard. Against Juvan she showed plenty of good tennis—deep, penetrating groundstrokes that barely cleared the net (she plays with very low margin and it’s natural to think she might end up being more lethal on grass and hard courts as she develops), booming serves and a fantastic feel for the net. But she wasn’t able to take Juvan off her game often and certainly not often enough.

This caused frustration and it showed on Gauff’s face. She seemed to have a good idea of what she was up against and how much it would take for her to win this match if Juvan kept playing at such a high level (she did). As the contest wore on Gauff never ever got close to melting down (credit’s due here), but she did toss a racquet (gently) in frustration and generally exhibited the body language of a player unable to find the necessary solutions.

Even if it's not ideal there’s no shame in that. Gauff’s future is bright, and as I mentioned, she showed so much potential in winning a match at her first Grand Slam qualifying event, over 26-year-old Ankita Raina of India, and playing bravely against Juvan.

15 years old.

Last time she’ll ever need a Roland-Garros wildcard? 🙏@CocoGauff | #RG19 pic.twitter.com/8Og0ehSmAU

— Mouratoglou Tennis Academy 🎾 (@MouratoglouAcad) May 23, 2019

Midway through the second set Patrick Mouratoglou came to sit with Gauff’s team and urged her on. He’s taken a vested interest in her game and that also bodes well for Gauff’s future. You better believe that in the 20 minutes he sat courtside the mastermind that has helped guide Serena Williams to a plethora of milestones in the latter portion of her career saw enough to plan more than a few productive practice sessions for the next time the American visits the Mouratoglou Academy in the sunny South of France.

The bottom line is this: At 320 in the world and coming off her first Grand Slam qualifying win, Coco Gauff is well on her way to fulfilling her promise as a professional. Will she reach the lofty expectations that have already been set by many pundits? It doesn’t matter right now.

All that matters is that she keeps logging the hard yards, and that every tough loss is treated as an opportunity for growth.

Gauff was dealt a difficult loss on Thursday and watching courtside it was easy to see and feel how disappointed she was by her performance and the result. Already, at 15 years and two months, she expects to win matches—no matter the level, no matter the venue. That, more than anything, was what impressed me most about Gauff. You could see her burning up as she left the court. Most kids would be thrilled to have made the trip to Paris and become the youngest player to even win a Roland Garros qualifying match.

Not Gauff. She wants it all, and if I am reading the tea leaves correctly, she is likely on the practice court today with a scowl on her face.