Serena Williams' quest for a 24th Grand Slam title ended with her earliest loss at a major tournament in five years
PARIS -- Maybe it was the daunting deficit Serena Williams faced in the French Open's third round. Maybe it was the way her 20-year-old American opponent, Sofia Kenin, was questioning line calls.
"In that first set in particular, she hit pretty much inches from the line, and I haven't played anyone like that in a long time," the 37-year-old Williams said."I just saw a player that was playing unbelievable." Since those early-for-her defeats, Williams had won six of the 14 majors she entered to surpass Steffi Graf's professional-era record of 22 Grand Slam singles championships. With 23, Williams stands one away from Margaret Court's mark for the most in tennis history; Court played in both the professional and amateur eras.
"I'm proud to be an American," said Kenin, who wore a blue U.S. Fed Cup cap to her news conference."I think it's great we moved to America for a better life for me." Williams came to Paris having played only four matches since then — she withdrew from two tournaments because of an injured left knee and another because of illness."I'm glad I came, at the end of the day," she said,"but it's been a really grueling season for me."
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