Injured Stephens rejoicing in US Open triumph

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Sloane Stephens ended her participation in the Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy event in Zhuhai early when she retired hurt in her match against Barbora Strycova.

But her withdrawal on Friday in the southern Chinese city will not dampen what has been an incredible 2017 for the 24-year-old American during which she won the US Open.

The season did not start off so well as she was dealing with a foot injury and as it nears the end, she now has a knee complaint.

"I think no one expected me to have the results I did," she said in assessing her first grand slam triumph. "I gained confidence in the shorter time to going the US Open. I could have a better feeling in this American favorite event, but I had no idea that I could win the title."

But though Stephens took the WTA's "Comeback Player of the Year" award, she has failed to win since New York - a sequence she blamed on having less time to practice.

Sloane Stephens holds the winner's trophy at the 2017 US Open. /VCG Photo

"My knee wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do," she told journalists after the match against the Czech Republic’s Strycova who was leading 5-0.

"So, yeah, it’s like it’s better to just stop now, because obviously I wasn’t moving too quickly out there. I just thought, yeah, better if I just stop."

Stephens is due to lead the United States against Belarus in the Fed Cup final this month and said she hoped to be fit by then. "Just stay healthy for next year, and finish Fed Cup strong, had a great season," she added.

She will be joined by two-time Grand Slam semifinalist CoCo Vandeweghe, Shelby Rogers and Alison Riske for the best-of-five-matches final on an indoor hard court in Minsk, Belarus, Nov. 11-12

The US is in its first Fed Cup final since losing to Italy in 2010. The Americans won the last of their record 17 titles in 2000.