Serena Williams Defeated
in 2019 French Open Williams lost in the third round of the
French Open to 20-year-old Sofia Kenin. The Russian-born American defeated Williams
6-2 and 7-5 and is ranked No. 35 in the world. Williams is a three-time winner of the
French Open and ranked No. 10, but came into
this year’s competition with minimal preparation. She had been combating both a sprained
ankle and a left knee injury for months. Williams had also been out of practice,
having only played nine matches since
the Australian Open in January 2019. This is Williams’ earliest Grand Slam exit since her
dramatic withdrawal from Wimbledon in 2014,
which was reportedly due to a viral illness. It is also only the third time in her
career that she’s lost to a younger U.S. player. Following her loss, Williams took to Instagram to
address the situation with a motivational message. Serena Williams,
via Instagram