Sloane Stephens sat down with USTA President Katrina Adams on CBS Sports' We Need to Talk. They discussed Stephens’ US Open title defense, her position as a role model and the importance of giving more children access to tennis.

"It's a lot of pressure, but I'm looking forward to it," Stephens said of the upcoming US Open. "I've done so well in the last year, more than I've ever dreamed of ... I just have to remember to go out and have fun and try to do my best."

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It's for good reason that Stephens feels she doesn't have much left to prove right now. In one of the most memorable comeback stories of the past year, she's brought her ranking up from No. 934 to No. 3 in the world since last August.

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The real pressure, to Stephens, is the role-model responsibility that comes with her increased visibility.

"The way I looked at Venus and Serena or Chanda Rubin—she's one of my favorite players—I never thought in my life that I would be that person," Stephens said. "So it's still a little bit strange, but you kinda have a responsibility."

She’s embracing her role model status through her Sloane Stephens Foundation, which provides after-school tennis to children in Compton, Calif.

"Accessibility is key. If you give a kid an opportunity—you give them a racquet, you give them a ball, you show them—they will fall in love with tennis," she said.

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Stephens made the final of Montreal last week, losing in three sets to world No. 1 Simona Halep. She advanced to the third round of Cincinnati on Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Tatjana Maria.