Love is patient. Love is kind. Love apparently lasts four years in the celebrity sports world. Cue in Sloane Stephens and Jozy Altidore.
Sloane Stephens and Jozy Altidore have officially called it quits after four years of marriage. Yes, four, not five, not ten. Just enough time to learn each other’s coffee orders and argue about thermostat settings.
The tennis champion, 32, and the former professional soccer player, 36, have called it quits after four years of marriage, Stephens announced on Saturday, Feb. 21, via a statement on Instagram Stories.
“Jozy and I have decided to end our marriage,” Stephens wrote. “With peace, I am navigating this transition with mutual respect and kindly ask for privacy during this time.”
“Thank you for your love, understanding and continued support,” she concluded the post.
It’s the end of the romance journey for Sloane Stephens and Jozy Altidore.
The former couple both attended Boca Prep International School when Stephens was in fifth grade and Altidore was two grades above her, according to Vogue.
Stephens later moved away, and the pair didn’t reconnect until 2016, when the athletes ran into each other at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. — and their relationship blossomed from there.
“I was doing a media scrum in the hallway during a U.S. Men’s National team camp. Sloane was there training for Fed Cup in Hawaii,” Altidore previously told Vogue of their reunion. “Sloane turned the corner while having a loud conversation on FaceTime. We locked eyes and started talking during the scrum.”
“We exchanged contacts and went to dinner after my game versus Iceland,” said the former soccer pro. “The rest was history.”
Altidore proposed in Los Angeles in April 2019 by surprising Stephens with an art gallery “filled with her family and friends,” he told Vogue, “and instead of paintings, the gallery was decorated with massive canvases of photos from our relationship and all the people who have played a role in Sloane’s life up to this point.”
The good news? Both are still thriving individually. Sloane continues to build her legacy in tennis. Jozy remains one of the most recognizable former American soccer names of his generation. They may not be doubles partners anymore, but their careers are still hold value.
Love may have lost this match, but in true athlete fashion, they’ll both shake hands at the net and walk off like pros.
