Being a Grand Slam champion does not guarantee that you will remain a dominant force in tennis forever.
That has been evident for lots of players on both tours in 2025, including 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who has only won one Grand Slam match this year.
There have been some more positive signs recently for Medvedev after he reached the Shanghai Masters semifinals.
While Medvedev appears to be recovering from his struggles, another former US Open champion has now lost her 12th consecutive match.
Sloane Stephens continues losing streak after being beaten by world number 347
That player is Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion who has now lost 12 consecutive matches.
After losing 10 matches in a row, Stephens suffered a foot injury that kept her out of action for seven months.
Stephens returned at the Guadalajara Open last month, where she lost in the first round, but provided a positive fitness update.
Despite this, it was over a month until Stephens would return to the match court, once again in Mexico, but this time at a lower-level WTA 125 event.
It appeared to be a good opportunity for Stephens, who was drawn against world number 347 Sahaja Yamalapalli in the first round, but once again she fell to defeat after being beaten 6-2 6-2.
| Tournament | Result |
| Wimbledon 2024 (2R) | Diana Shnaider beat Stephens, 6-1 6-1 |
| Washington Open 2024 (1R) | Amanda Anisimova beat Stephens, 6-3 7-5 |
| Canadian Open 2024 (1R) | Greet Minnen beat Stephens, 6-2 6-2 |
| US Open 2024 (1R) | Clara Burel beat Stephens, 0-6 7-5 7-5 |
| Guadalajara Open 2024 (1R) | Olivia Gadecki beat Stephens, 6-4 6-3 |
| Korea Open 2024 (1R) | Hailey Baptiste beat Stephens, 7-6(4) 6-2 |
| Auckland Open 2025 (1R) | Ann Li beat Stephens, 5-7 6-4 6-4 |
| Hobart International 2025 (1R) | Ann Li beat Stephens, 7-5 6-1 |
| Australian Open 2025 (1R) | Aryna Sabalenka beat Stephens, 6-3 6-2 |
| Merida Open 2025 (1R) | Petra Martic beat Stephens, 6-2 6-3 |
| Guadalajara Open 2025 (1R) | Lucrezia Stefanini beat Stephens, 6-4 4-6 6-1 |
| Abierto Tampico 2025 (1R) | Sahaja Yamalapalli beat Stephens, 6-2 6-2 |
What are the longest losing streaks in WTA history?
Yamalapalli’s victory over Stephens means that the former world number three has now lost 12 consecutive matches, with her last win coming at Wimbledon in 2024.
Stephens, who is now ranked outside the top 1000 in the world rankings, may not have one of the top five longest losing streaks in WTA history, but she is moving closer to making unwanted history.
The player who has lost the fifth most consecutive matches in WTA history is Kristina Mladenovic, after suffering 15 consecutive defeats between 2017 and 2018.
| WTA Player’s with longest losing streaks | Matches they lost in a row | Period that the losing streak took place |
| 1. Madeleine Pegel | 29 | 1968-1972 |
| 2. Shuai Zhang | 24 | 2023-2024 |
| 3. Aranxta Rus | 17 | 2012-2013 |
| 3. Sandy Collins | 17 | 1984-1987 |
| 5. Kristina Mladenovic | 15 | 2017-2018 |
While it is still possible, Stephens is some way away from matching Madeleine Pegel, who lost 29 matches in a row in the longest losing streak in history.
It is unclear as to whether Stephens will play again in 2025, with limited tournaments remaining this year.
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