(CNN) -- "Do I look like Serena? Like, come on. Seriously?" Sloane Stephens understandably rankles at such a comparison with one of the world's greatest tennis players. "You know, it's kind of crazy, but it's really not that bad. But when you hear it, it's like, 'Oh my god, did they just say that?' " Only the laziest of observers could mistake the 19-year-old rising star for a Williams sister off the court. But on it, the similarities are striking. Blessed with natural athleticism and steely determination allied to a powerful serve and forehand, Stephens shares many of the attributes that have helped Venus and Serena dominate the women's game over the past 15 years.
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Sloane Stephens has enjoyed a successful year on the tour and is hotly tipped for success
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The 19-year-old will play Italy's Francesca Schiavone in the opening round of the U.S. Open
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She is the daughter of former NFL player John Stephens and ex-swimmer Sybil Smith
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Rising star looking to build on promising runs at Wimbledon and the French Open earlier this year
@placeholder works really hard and is a great role model for girls, she says, while Serena has become a close friend.
Smith and Stephens divorced when @placeholder was a child, and she saw little of her father while growing up.