Stephens is in the driver's seat, wins the 2016 Volvo Car Open

Sloane Stephens entered the interview room at a pace somewhere in between a walk and a jog. She told the sports journalists who gathered for her coronation as the 2016 Volvo Car Open champion that she was in a hurry.

Stephens defeated Russian Elena Vesnina 7-6 (4), 6-2 Sunday on center stage, which happened to be the sun-drenched but windswept Billie Jean Stadium court. Now, she was in a hurry to catch a flight that departed Charleston International Airport at 6:45 p.m. Sunday night. She was headed back to Los Angeles so she could finally sleep in her own bed after five grueling weeks on the road as part of the WTA tour.

To be honest, Stephens had an alternative mode of transportation back to the West Coast. But she didn’t know about it until the awards ceremony. It might not have been faster than a jet, but the interior was more luxurious. She picked up a check for $128,000 and the keys to a blue Volvo V60 Polestar, which costs north of $60,000.

“Did you all know I was going to get a car?” Stephens asked reporters in the press room after her win. “Me neither. That was crazy.”

Vesnina was just as surprised when Stephens won the car.

“I was just as shocked as well,” said Vesnina, who was attempting to become the first qualifier to win in Charleston. “I was really happy for her. I even think we had the same facial expression. As I told (tournament director) Bob Moran, ‘if you would tell me before the final that there is a car, maybe it would be a different result. But he was like, ‘We have to keep it a secret. We’re trying to keep it a secret.’”

Even a journalist appeared to be stunned about the car prize based on their question: “Are you taking it to Europe?”

Stephens’ reply was simple: “How?”

Stephens, who is expected to move from World 25 to No. 22, will head across the big pond in time for the spring red court clay season that culminates with the two-week tussle at Roland Garros.

After a 1-5 record in the main draw the past five years, Stephens savored the victory, not just the check and Volvo.

“I just think, I’m playing tennis,” said Stephens, who hopes to succeed legends Serena and Venus Williams as the American face on the WTA tour. “I’m enjoying myself. I’m having fun. I mean I’m happy to be winning tournaments, and that’s all I can really think about, just trying to get better and every week try and go for another title.”

Sunday, Stephens jumped to a 5-2 lead in the first step, but the Russian had no ounce of quit in her. She blew a set point that gave Stephens a second chance. Stephens forced the tie-breaker and won the first set. She was in control the second set, gaining her third WTA title of the year. She won at Auckland and Acapulco.

Vesnina seemed to run out of gas in the second set thanks to a week that included 10 matches, including two in doubles.

“Sloane was playing really solid,” said Vesnina, who was runner-up here in 2011. “She was like a little bit better, one step faster, one step better. I mean she’s one of the best players on the defense, so when she’s sliding and getting all those balls, at some point I was just thinking, you know, she’s everywhere.” Stephens was able to refocus after blowing the lead in the first set. That gave Stephens her first career title on clay.

“I just thought to myself, I needed to be more aggressive and take my opportunities,” Stephens said. “I was playing really passive. And I had a bit of T-Rex arm syndrome, so I needed to just hit through the ball.”

Stephens’ roadmap to Roland Garros includes stops at Madrid, Rome and perhaps, Strasbourg.

“It just depends on how I do the first two weeks,” Stephens said. “And then, I am going to play Paris. So it’s not that long, not that far off.”

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