Who Is Sloane Stephens' Husband? All About Soccer Star Jozy Altidore

Sloane Stephens and her husband, soccer player Jozy Altidore, are a sports power couple.

The tennis champion first met Altidore when they were kids attending the same middle school in Boca Raton, Florida. After reconnecting in 2016, the pair tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at the St. Regis Bal Harbour in Miami Beach, Florida, on New Year’s Day in 2022.

The couple didn’t go on a honeymoon right away because of their packed schedules, but Stephens told PEOPLE in September 2022 that they really value their time together at home since they often travel for work.

"When you travel 40-plus weeks a year for work, all you want to do is come home to each other and enjoy the downtime," she said.

Besides the occasional social media post, the two athletes are a relatively private couple. However, they aren’t shy about expressing their gratitude for having a partner who understands the complexities of being a sports star.

"We both have incredible, crazy jobs and lives and knowing that through it all, we have each other as our constant and true home base is such a comforting feeling," Stephens told PEOPLE in January 2022.

Reflecting on his love for his wife, Altidore added, "She has such a big heart and has empathy for everyone. She amazes me every single day."

So, who is Sloane Stephens’ husband? Here’s everything to know about soccer star Jozy Altidore. 

He grew up in Florida

Altidore was born in Livingston, New Jersey, on Nov. 6, 1989, to his parents, Giselle and Joseph, according to his official website. He and his family later moved to Boca Raton, Florida, where he was raised as the youngest of four children.

The celebrated athlete developed his passion for soccer in his hometown, where he played for the Boca Raton Juniors Soccer Club before going pro.

On July 18, 2014, the city of Boca Raton honored Altidore with his own holiday. “July 18 is officially now known as Jozy Altidore day in Boca Raton! What an honor and privilege! Thank you to the city of Boca Raton!” he captioned a photo of himself holding the certificate on Instagram.

He’s a professional soccer player

At 16 years old, Altidore made his professional soccer debut with the New York Red Bulls. He played for several teams, including Villarreal and AZ Alkmaar, before transferring to Toronto FC in January 2015.

A year into his stint on the Canadian soccer team, Altidore won the U.S. Player of the Year Award for the second time, per AP News. (He previously won the award in 2013.) That same month, he also took home the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Male Player of the Year Award.

After playing with Toronto FC for seven years, Altidore officially left the team in February 2022. He shared the news on Instagram and wrote, “Thank you Toronto and all the fans for a wonderful 7 years. To all the staff and my teammates throughout this time, THANK YOU!! Toronto will always be home.”

Following his departure, Altidore signed with the New England Revolution as their forward. He played for the team for over a year before they bought out his contract in June 2023.

He and Stephens met as kids

Altidore and Stephens first met in middle school when they both attended Boca Prep International School when she was in fifth grade, and he was in seventh, per Vogue. After the tennis player moved away, the childhood friends didn’t reconnect until 2016, when they ran into each other at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

The chance meeting was the beginning of their romantic relationship. "I was doing a media scrum in the hallway during a US Mens National team camp," Altidore told Vogue. "Sloane was there training for Fed Cup in Hawaii. 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. The rest was history."

He and Stephens got engaged in 2019

Altidore proposed to Stephens in April 2019.

"We went to church in L.A. and then I made up an excuse telling Sloane that I wanted to check out a painting at an art gallery that I saw on Instagram and was thinking of buying," Jozy told Vogue. "When we got to the gallery, it was filled with her family and friends 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. It was really cool that all the people in the photos were surrounding us when I popped the question.”

Stephens told the outlet she “should have known” what Altidore was planning. "Jozy was acting nervous, and he's definitely not an art gallery kind of guy, but when we walked in and I saw everyone, I was completely blown away! It was so surreal when he got down on one knee,” she said.

The pair announced their engagement to the world with sweet post-proposal snapshots in since-deleted Instagram posts. “Forever yes ❤️,” Stephens captioned her post, while Altidore similarly wrote, “Forever starts now ❤️.”

He married Stephens in 2022

The couple tied the knot at the St. Regis Bal Harbour in Miami Beach, Florida, on Jan. 1, 2022.

Hosting a ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges for the couple, who required all guests to be fully vaccinated and to self-test before the wedding.

"I empathize with all the COVID couples out there who have had to make the tough calls and be flexible with the ever-changing pandemic," Stephens told PEOPLE at the time. "We've all had to be super flexible, and I appreciate how accommodating our loved ones have been in making sure we have as safe and special a day as possible."

They also hosted various events leading up to their big day, including a "crazy competitive" tennis tournament, a crawfish boil and wine tasting, and a beach picnic.

"I've loved reflecting on all of the moments that culminated to this day and how we've arrived at this life-changing moment,” Altidore told PEOPLE about planning the celebration. “It's been so nostalgic to go down memory lane and revisit all the moments that brought us to this time in our lives. It's made me fall in love with Sloane all over again."

As for the soccer player’s favorite moment from the big day, he was most excited to watch his wife walk down the aisle. "It's one of those moments that I know will live in my mind forever and time will stand still when I see her," he said.

In January 2024, Altidore and Stephens celebrated two years of marriage.

"Happy Anniversary Baby. Thank God for giving me you," the soccer player wrote on Instagram alongside never-before-seen video clips of the couple's romantic nuptials.

He has a son

Altidore has a son from a previous relationship. In October 2022, the hands-on dad celebrated his son’s 8th birthday with a Paw Patrol-themed party, which included a two-tier cake and lots of balloons.

"Happy 8th birthday to my baby boy. There’s nothing better than being your dad. Love you always and forever,” Altidore captioned a series of photos from the celebration.

Speaking with PEOPLE in January 2022, Stephens said that witnessing Altidore’s close relationship with his son is how she knew he was the one.

"He loves his son so much and gives so selflessly,” she said. “Jozy and I have known each other since we were kids, but watching him grow as a father showed me what it would be like to spend forever with him."

He got his bachelor’s degree in 2021

In November 2021, Altidore celebrated receiving his B.S. in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University on the same day as his birthday. He shared the news on Instagram by posting a photo of himself with his degree and his son alongside the caption, “Birthday, bachelors degree and a lost tooth. Doesn’t get any better than this!!! Thank you for all the bday wishes. Mama I kept my promise, this is for you!”

Even though Altidore started his soccer career as a teenager, completing his education has always been important to him as he previously took classes at Passaic Community College. In a 2007 blog post for The New York Times, he wrote his mother “was not too fond” of him playing soccer so young because she thought it was “more important to get an education.”

“Education is so important because my parents came from Haiti, a third-world country, and they’ve always believed that if you’re smart and get a good education, that it’s the way out. It’s their No. 1 priority and education can be the key to unlock a lot of doors,” he continued. “I’m a very competitive guy and it’s really important that I have a degree to fall back on. It can only be a benefit. Soccer won’t last forever, and after I retire I want to have something to go with.”

He’s a philanthropist

Altidore’s philanthropic work has largely focused on creating opportunities for children across the globe to learn about soccer. He’s hosted soccer camps at St. Andrew’s High School in Boca Raton, Florida, and streamed live broadcasts of soccer matches across Haiti, according to his website.

In April 2020 and 2021, the athlete partnered with the non-profit Hope for Haiti as an ambassador for their Hike for Haiti virtual campaign, which was an effort to raise money for the organization’s education and health programs. Since then, Altidore and Stephens have continued to work with Hope for Haiti and were part of a project to build a new school and soccer field in Haiti, which was completed in 2022.

For their efforts with Hope for Haiti, the couple received the Hope Award in November 2022. “It was truly an honor last night to have received the Hope Award alongside my husband @jozyaltidore for our work with @hopeforhaiti where we built a school!” Stephens wrote on Instagram. “Organizations like Hope for Haiti are focused on building a better future and remain committed despite the obstacles. We know this project will be the first of many, and I look forward to sharing this journey with Jozy.”

He and Stephens made their Met Gala debut in 2021

The private couple made a rare red carpet appearance in September 2021 at the Met Gala. Stephens posted photos of herself donning a billowing red gown by ALIÉTTE, which she accessorized with silver Giuseppe Zanotti heels and diamond jewelry from De Beers and Chopard. As for Altidore, he opted for a blue tuxedo by ALIÉTTE and matching dress shoes by Louboutin.

He and Stephens are very supportive of each other

As two professional athletes, Altidore and Stephens can relate to each other and the demands of playing a sport at a high level. Speaking with USA Today in October 2017, the soccer player said the two often have an unspoken understanding.

“She is somebody who gets everything I am going through without having to say anything,” said Altidore. “You look at each other and you kind of know right away if one of you is annoyed. She just kind of gets the mood I’m in, as obviously she lives a very similar kind of life. In that regard it works really well, there is no stress. She is a successful athlete and I do okay, and we just enjoy our time together when we are together.”

In addition to showing up for each other’s games, the couple also value their time off together. During an interview with Black Enterprise in February 2023, Stephens said it’s “comforting” to have a partner who has a similar lifestyle.

“We are very disciplined with our schedules and expressing our priorities to our teams so that when it is family time, we are all in and fully present,” she said. “Because Jozy is also a professional athlete, there is so much implied understanding about what is required for each of us to do to be and feel our best. It is so comforting to have that level of understanding in a partner."