After Being Scandalously Interesting, Sloane Stephens Opts To Get Dull

Why do athletes give the worst quotes in the world? Because at a young age they learn the hard way that it's not at all worth it to say interesting things to a reporter.

Last week, Sloane Stephens said revealing, refreshingly honest things about her—non-existent—relationship with Serena Williams. This week, she takes it all back (and blames a reporter, to boot):

“We were eating pizza!” Stephens said, emphasizing that the casual context of her meeting with the reporter made her believe that the late-March interview in Florida had yet to begin. “I understood the fact that those things weren’t going to be written in the article and I was just saying whatever. The person who wrote it just kind of took that and ran with it. That’s what they’re going to do.

[...]

"The article coming out, it makes you kind of want to be a robot and say just all the good things and not ever say anything bad. But that’s just not the real world. So you just have to say what you feel. I think definitely people are going to write things that aren’t true and hurtful and things like that, but that’s what sells magazines and that’s what people like to read. I definitely don’t want to be a robot, but I’m going to find a way to stay positive, I guess."

A strong tradition continues.

[ Sports Illustrated]