Sloane Stephens pulls out of Merida Open after announcing separation from Premier League and USMNT striker Jozy Altidore

Sloane Stephens’ 2025 season has taken a deeply personal turn. Just days after sharing that her marriage to former Premier League footballer Jozy Altidore had come to an end, the 2017 US Open champion has pulled out of the Merida Open in Mexico.

The timing has naturally drawn attention across tennis news and social media, with many fans sending messages of support as Stephens works through a difficult moment away from the court. Stephens shared the news of her separation on Instagram Stories over the weekend, confirming that she and Altidore had decided to part ways. The couple, who married on New Year’s Day in 2022, had known each other since childhood, having attended the same middle school in Florida.

Former Grand Slam winner delays comeback after emotional off-court update

In her message, Stephens kept it brief and respectful. She wrote, "Jozy and I have decided to end our marriage. With peace, I am navigating this transition with mutual respect and kindly ask for privacy during this time. Thank you for your love, understanding and continued support."And two days after that post, confirmation arrived that Stephens would not compete at the WTA 500 event in Merida. Lucky loser Priscilla Hon stepped into the draw and will now face Renata Zarazua in the opening round.

The withdrawal means Stephens has still not returned to match play since the Australian Open. In Melbourne, she came through qualifying, earning her first wins since 2024, before losing in straight sets to Karolina Pliskova in the first round.

Despite the loss, Stephens had taken positives from her run and spoke openly about wanting to rebuild momentum after an injury-hit 2024 season.At her press conference, she explained her mindset for the year ahead.

"To play a lot of tennis, whatever that means." She then added, "I don't know where that's going to take me, but be pain-free, healthy and win a lot of matches."Stephens had played only five matches last year after being sidelined for months with a stress fracture in her right foot. Simply being back on court in Melbourne felt like progress. Reflecting on that return, she said, "I think that the three matches were super helpful for me since I haven't won a match since 2024.

Either way, it was a win for me, and I'm happy that I just came and did it and kind of just got the monkey off my back, and I'm just ready to play again and go to the next tournament.

"Her plan had been to compete in Merida before heading to Indian Wells and Miami. Now, those next steps remain uncertain. Speaking earlier about her schedule, she had said, "I'm going to do that and see how I hold up, how I get on, and go from there. I might play a few extras on the clay this year. I'm not sure; it depends on where I get in because I'm still on the special ranking. We'll see. Now that the thousands draws are bigger, so I'll be in the qualifiers of those, which is also fine, but it'll be interesting.

"For now, Stephens’ focus seems to be on personal recovery before returning fully to competition.