Ready, set, race!
The US Open is underway, and the tennis star Sloane Stephens played her first match on Monday at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium. She’s one of a handful of African American women—Serena Williams, Althea Gibson, Venus Williams, and Coco Gauff—to have won a Grand Slam title. And though Stephens didn’t advance to the next round this season, she hasn’t let that hinder her from moving forward as an all-star both on and off the court. Before the tournament, Stephens announced the launch of her body-care brand Doc & Glo, named after her maternal grandparents—Noel, an OB/GYN, and Gloria, a homemaker, who both taught her how to take care of herself. “Not only physically, but mentally,” Sloan Stephens tells Well+Good.
The tennis star came up with the idea for the line during the pandemic when athletes weren’t allowed to freshen up in the locker rooms. “I wanted to create products that move with you—that you can take wherever you go and still feel clean and refreshed,” says Stephens. Doc & Glo’s lineup includes the 3161 Fragrance-Free Deodorant ($18), which uses enzymes to help neutralize body odor, along with the 24/7 Hustle Deodorizing Body Mist ($22), a hydrating spray with aloe vera and niacinamide to help refresh your skin.
Both products are housed in reusable packaging in the chartreuse shade of a tennis ball. “I wanted to make sure that I was creating something functional that spoke to the core of my roots and made people feel good,” Stephens says.
Before Stephens’ 2024 US Open appearance, I caught up with the newly minted beauty entrepreneur, who gave me the lowdown on the beauty practices and self-care tips that serve her on the court and off, ahead.
She’s serious about sunscreen
“Before leaving the house or hotel room, I apply sunscreen.” says Stephens. “I don’t want ever to be caught without it,” she says, adding that she applies a broad-spectrum SPF multiple times throughout the day. “I’m serious about guarding my skin from harmful UV rays.”
Stephens says that she has a few sunscreens on rotation for every situation. She’s a fan of Supergoop’s Matte Sunscreen ($40), which disappears into her skin without leaving a chalky cast; she favors Barbara Sturm’s Sun Drops ($160) for her face on the court; and on humid days, she opts for the oil-free Neutrogena Sport Face Oil-Free Sunscreen ($13). For the rest of her body, Stephens likes to use Neutrogena Sport Body Spray SPF 70 ($25), a formulation that allows her easy access to hard-to-reach areas, like her back.
She hates feeling sweaty
Despite competing in warm climates, Stephens says she hates feeling hot or sweaty, so she showers multiple times a day. In fact, she never keeps a protective hairstyle in for too long because she doesn’t like her “scalp and hair feeling damp from perspiration,” she says.
Stephens occasionally wears a sew-in weave, but will only keep that style in for a short time, too. “The wefts prevent me from getting to my scalp, which is often soggy, and that’s just not a vibe,” she says. Stephens tries to keep her hair in braids, which makes it easier for her to clean her scalp. After a long day of practice, she blow-dries her braids to absorb moisture. On most days, Stephens says she tries to avoid using heavy hair products so they don’t drip down her face if she sweats. Instead, she opts for Ceremonia Guava Leave-In Conditioner ($27), a lightweight cream that moisturizes and softens her hair.
She loves masking as a form of self-care
“I do some sort of sheet mask almost every night—whether eye patches, a full-face sheet mask, a foot mask, or a hand mask—I mask something,” Stephens tells me. She likes the wide assortment of masks from Tony Moly and co-signs the Tony Moly Brightening eye mask ($4). “I like that the brand has budget-friendly options because I go through a lot of them,” she says.
Stephens tries to steer clear of using cream masks during the summer when the heavy texture compounded with sweat can make her “feel icky” on humid days. In the evenings, she makes an exception; she cranks up the AC and rubs on the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask ($49) to hydrate and plump her face (especially after a hectic travel schedule). At night, Stephens won’t sleep before putting on a layer of Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask ($24) to prevent her lips from getting dry.
She loves contrast therapy when her body needs a reset
“I’m constantly getting massages, because that’s par for the course when you’re an athlete,” says Stephens. “But I also do other stuff to help my muscles recover after training sessions or an intense match. Red and infrared light therapy are important tools that help me recharge.” Stephens loves her Higher Dose Infrared PEMF ($700) mat, which comes embedded with a layer of crystals to help heal the body and allegedly “restore” energy levels.
In addition, Stephens recently invested in a hot sauna and cold plunge bath at her home, which she uses daily. The exposure to heat acts helps get the blood flowing, while the cold immersion helps reduce inflammation. “I love doing contrast therapy. I feel so refreshed afterward,” she explains. “It always makes my body feel more loose and energetic.”
The US Open is underway now through September 8th. You can watch along on ESPN and you can also follow Well+Good’s ongoing tennis-star coverage with our Like a Champion series.
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