Uncategorized
Sloane Stephens Defeats Madison Keys to Win 2017 U.S. Open
Earlier this year, Sloane Stephens couldn’t walk. Now she’s the 2017 U.S. Open champion.
The 24-year-old American defeated compatriot Madison Keys 6-3, 6–0 in Saturday’s championship match, earning her first career Grand Slam title. The match lasted just 61 minutes.
Stephens, who was unseeded entering the tournament, only made her season debut in July at Wimbledon after a long recovery from foot surgery. Stephens skipped last year’s U.S. Open because of the injury, which kept her out for nearly a year.
Both players were first-time Grand Slam finalists. Keys, 22, eased past CoCo Vandeweghe in the semifinal, but she couldn’t find her rhythm against Stephens, who played nearly mistake-free tennis on Saturday and never let Keys settle into a groove.
Stephens finished the match with just six unforced errors.
Stephens seemed to pick up where she left off after beating Venus Williams in a thrilling three–set semifinal.
Stephens has never lost the final of a professional tournament.
Highly acclaimed and much-loved singer, songwriter, rapper, producer and South London native Jessica Wilde kicks of her 2024 by joining forces with the incredible Josh Barry for a soulful Valentine’s Day release ‘Love Like This’, out 14th February.
Packed with soaring emotions and infused with smoky orchestral atmospheres, ‘Love Like This’ is a striking nu-soul gem which will be released on Wilde’s forthcoming album and follows her recent singles ‘Freak Out’ and ‘Feathers’ ft. Zoe Kypri. The two 2023 singles saw her pick up many spins on BBC Radio 1’s Future Artists with Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1 Introducing with Jess Iszatt, John Kennedy’s X-Posure Daily on Radio X, playlist support across the board from Spotify, Apple, Youtube and Tidal amongst other acclaim. Josh Barry has also been picking up serious heat, recently featuring with Rudimental and Sigma, collaborating with Nile Rogers and opening for Rag ‘N’ Bone Man on tour. Josh Barry brings a dynamic force to the collab as he embodies the spirit of legendary icons like James Brown and Jimi Hendrix.
On ‘Love Like This’, Wilde explains, “When we got in the studio, the song basically wrote itself, we wanted to capture that raw soulful essence in our husky tones, and a nostalgic feeling of those classic Marvin Gaye love songs but with a 2024 flip.”
As the dreamy, smooth track escalates, Wilde and Barry’s yearning vocals entwine with epic effect as the pair find the ‘Love Like This’ that they have been searching and waiting for. The release comes with a Valentine’s launch show at the iconic ‘The Bedford’ and a 6-part Instagram & TikTok reel series, released every other day from 16th February, which everyone should tune into to see Wilde and Barry explore the track’s steamy and romantic themes in more depth through nostalgic aesthetics.
2024 looks set to be an exciting new year for Wilde. With her album on the horizon, she has been gaining growing support from not only BBC Radio 1 but also 6 Music, BBC Radio London, KISS, editorial playlist support across DSPs, as well as features in CLASH, Complex, Wonderland, The Independent and many more.
-
We Speak Music1 week agoTony DeYoung: Defying Doubt, Redefining Success
-
We Speak Actors4 days agoThe Indomitable Dr. Meleeka Clary: A Beacon of Resilience and Hope
-
We Speak Jazz3 days agoA Conversation with musician, BRANDON MEEKS | MUSIC THERAPY & MOTIVATION with Gino Black
-
We Speak Events3 days agoYoung Atlanta’s 12th Annual Fashion Exhibition