Whenever Sloane Stephens is feeling off-centered before a match, she relies on simple words and hype music to get her back on track. "I think, 'Okay, you can do this. Let's do this.' Get some music on, start singing, get the vibe back. That's kind of my mantra," she recently told Health when we caught up with her at the Mercedes Benz Manhattan to celebrate the EQS vehicle launch just days before the start of the US Open.
Stephens, 28, says this mantra comes in handy when she needs to uplift her mood, especially when preparing to perform in high-pressure competitions. "I always do a vibe check to make sure that I'm good," says the 2017 US Open champion. Depending on that self assessment, Stephens says she'll know what she needs to get in gear. And that might include her mantra mixed with a little Ariana Grande or Lil Jon.
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The athlete has also learned to prioritize mental health recently. "You have to take care of you first," she said at the Mercedes event during a live Q&A with peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin. For Sloane, that includes seeing a therapist.
After going through the pandemic, this US Open, "we're in a state where everyone is just kind of trying to survive and make sure they can get the best out of themselves," Sloane tells Health. And so she's added another mini mantra to her list. "Do your absolute best, go for it, and do what you can do."
Watch the rest of Sloane's mantra in the video above.
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