Babcock McGraw: U.S. Open champ Stephens had no easy road

Through four years of high school sports and four years of college basketball, I was extremely lucky with injuries.

Sure, I rolled my ankle numerous times over my career.

And I had some freaky things happen, like knocking out two front teeth while trying to save a basketball from going out of bounds, and breaking open my forehead when I collided with an opponent while going for a rebound.

But in terms of serious injuries, I was somehow very blessed and I managed to avoid those.

So, I guess I was due. This summer I ruptured the plantar fascia ligament in my left foot while playing beach volleyball. The plantar fascia is the biggest ligament in the foot, running from the heel to the toes. It supports the arch.

Not a good ligament to rupture.

I was in a boot for six weeks. I'm still recovering, and will be for awhile.

My perspective on recovery and rehab and working to get back to competitive mode after a major injury is certainly different now, having gone through it firsthand. And my level of respect for athletes who are able to fight through the process and come back better than ever, was always high, but is now through the roof.

It's not easy. At all.

This is why I absolutely love 24-year-old American tennis star Sloane Stephens all the more.

I was already thrilled with her when she became the U.S. Open women's tennis champion last weekend. She essentially revitalized American women's tennis in one fell swoop.

Outside of the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, American women's tennis had become fairly irrelevant over the last decade. The last American woman besides Venus or Serena to win a tennis major was Jennifer Capriati. In 2002.

When Stephens and fellow American Madison Keys made the U.S. Open championship match an all-American affair, American tennis fans (also treated to the other two semifinalists being Americans as well) suddenly had multiple rooting interests again.

Then again, it would have been easy to root for Stephens no matter what her nationality.

Not only did Stephens win her very first major title at the U.S. Open, she did so in the wake of suffering a major foot injury (stress fracture) that left her in a boot for 15 weeks (I feel your pain Sloane), and on the sidelines for nearly a year, and as recently as April.

Finally in May, just four months ago, Stephens got back on the tennis court and was hitting balls again. But only while seated in a chair.

Talk about baby steps.

“I was just so excited and happy to be able to play again,” a humbled Stephens told ESPN.

Her first tournament back was Wimbledon in June, and she was ranked No. 934 in the world.

Her fifth tournament back from injury, she won the U.S. Open, and was ranked No. 83 in the world, the lowest ranked player to ever win the women's singles title.

“I had surgery January 23 (2017). If someone told me then that I'd win the U.S. Open ... it's impossible, I would say. It's absolutely impossible,” Stephens said. “My journey to get here, coming back, just being able to keep it all together, this journey has been incredible. And I honestly wouldn't change it for the world.”

The story is just too good. Too feel good for a young, upbeat girl from California whose mother Sybil was told when she first started playing tennis that she would be lucky to get a Division II college scholarship.

“I think everyone is just still in shock,” Stephens said of her rise. “I should just retire now (laughing), because I'm never going to be able to top this. Talk about a comeback. Honestly, I don't even know what to say. I just know that after surgery, I worked super hard to get back. I just tried to keep the best attitude. I had the best team. Things just have to come together, and the last five, six weeks they really have.”

Indeed, they have, to the tune of a place in history and a $3.7 million check.

For now, I'd just be happy with a healthy left foot.

Big Syl on top:

As predicted here last week, former Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles was named the most valuable player of the WNBA on Thursday.

So happy for Big Syl, now with the Minnesota Lynx. The honor is very well deserved and a bit overdue in Syl's 10th WNBA season.

Fowles was emotional in her news conference, recounting her long journey to the top. Great to see that kind of humility.

“It means everything,” said Fowles, who was also named MVP of the WNBA by the Associated Press last week. “I've just been sitting back trying to reflect on all the hard work I've put in over my years.”

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw