Court-Side Glo: Why Grand Slam Star Sloane Stephens Is Rewriting The Body Care Playbook

Tennis champion and Grand Slam winner Sloane Stephens is pivoting from the baseline to the beauty aisle, and she’s betting big on the skin below your chin. While many athletes tackle sneakers or sports drinks, Sloane is launching Doc & Glo, a performance-driven, clean body care brand designed for high-intensity lifestyles.

We sat down with Sloane to discuss why body care is the next frontier in beauty and how she’s reframing “sweat” as a symbol of confidence. From aluminum-free deodorants to refreshing mists, Doc & Glo bridges the gap between dermatologist expertise and athlete-approved results, ensuring you stay fresh whether you’re at the Rose Bowl or caught in a rush-hour commute. —Noa Nichol

We’ve seen athletes launch sneakers and sports drinks, but you’re betting big on body care; what was the “unforced error” you kept seeing in the beauty industry that convinced you to launch Doc & Glo?

The beauty industry spent years obsessing over the face and completely ignoring the rest of the body. Meanwhile, athletes and honestly anyone living a full life are sweating, moving, traveling, and putting their bodies through a lot every day. That was the unforced error. The products meant for the body either felt overly clinical or overly cosmetic, but they weren’t actually built for performance. I wanted to create something that met in the middle: products that are clean, effective, and designed for bodies in motion. Doc & Glo is really about giving body care the same level of innovation and respect skincare has had for years.

You’ve described Doc & Glo as a brand that “works as hard as its founder”; when you’re mid-match in the heat of a Grand Slam, what is the one performance-driven product in your bag that keeps you feeling like a “Glo” rather than a “Doc”?

It’s definitely the deodorant. Tennis matches can go three hours in brutal heat, and the last thing you want to think about is whether your products are holding up. Our aluminum-free deodorant was built for exactly that, real movement, real sweat. It keeps me feeling fresh and confident even deep in a third set, which is when you need your focus the most.

Body care is currently projected to outpace facial skincare growth; why do you think we are finally giving our “neck down” routine the same MVP energy we’ve given our faces for years?

People are realizing wellness is holistic. Your skin doesn’t stop at your jawline, and your routine shouldn’t either. There’s also been a shift culturally, we’re working out more, moving more, prioritizing recovery and health. When you start thinking about your body as part of your performance, whether you’re an athlete or just living a busy life, body care naturally becomes more important. I think people are finally realizing their body deserves the same level of care and intention as their face.

Your brand bridges the gap between high-intensity sport and everyday luxury; how do you respond to the old-school idea that sweat isn’t “glamorous,” and how is Doc & Glo reframing it through the lens of confidence?

Sweat means you showed up. It means you pushed yourself. That’s something to celebrate, not hide. I think the old idea was that sweat was something to cover up or feel embarrassed about, but today people are embracing strength and movement. Doc & Glo reframes that moment, you finish a workout, a match, a long day and instead of feeling like you need to recover from it, you feel refreshed, confident, and ready to keep going.

As a Grand Slam champion, you have a unique perspective on endurance; what makes an elite athlete a more powerful voice in the “clean beauty” space than a traditional influencer?

Athletes test products under extreme conditions. We’re sweating, traveling across climates, practicing for hours, if something doesn’t work, we know immediately. That creates a different level of honesty in product development. For me, launching Doc & Glo wasn’t about putting my name on something; it was about solving real problems I experienced every single day on tour. That perspective brings authenticity that people can trust.

Your collection features aluminum-free deodorants and refreshing mists; was it a personal struggle to find clean products that actually survived a pro-tennis practice that led to these specific formulas?

Absolutely. I tried a lot of “clean” deodorants that were great in theory but didn’t hold up once practice started. When you’re training for three hours in the sun, you learn quickly what works and what doesn’t. That was a big motivation behind developing our formulas. I wanted products that were clean and skin-friendly but still performed at the level athletes and honestly anyone with an active life, actually need.

Doc & Glo blends dermatologist expertise with athlete-approved results; what was the most “high-stakes” part of the product development process—getting the science right or ensuring the scent stayed fresh through a tie-break?

Honestly, both. The science has to be right because these products are going on your skin every day. But scent is emotional, it’s what makes you feel good using the product. We spent a lot of time testing formulas under real conditions: workouts, travel, long days. When both the performance and the sensory experience came together, that’s when we knew we had something special.

You’re balancing professional tennis, constant travel, and now a burgeoning beauty empire; what is your “pro-tip” for women who want to maintain their “Glo” while navigating a high-intensity lifestyle?

Consistency over perfection. When life gets busy, you don’t need a 20-step routine, you just need a few products that work and make you feel good. For me it’s about simple habits: staying hydrated, moving my body, taking a few minutes for my routine, and using products that actually support that lifestyle. When you build those small rituals into your day, your “Glo” kind of takes care of itself.