Serena Williams' run at the 2021 French Open ended Sunday after she was defeated by Elena Rybakina in the fourth round.
The 23-time Grand Slam title holder, 39, lost 6-3, 7-5 in straight sets against the Kazakhstani 21-year-old. After falling behind in the first set, Williams attempted to recover in the second, but Rybakina proved victorious in her first career meeting with the American tennis star.
Williams' exit marks her 14th loss at the French Open, bringing her win-loss record to 69-14. Williams, who's won the French Open three times, hasn't passed the fourth round at Roland-Garros since 2016 when she was runner-up.
Even though her 40th birthday is coming up in September, Williams isn't even thinking about retiring just yet. "Yeah, I'm definitely not thinking about it at all. I'm definitely thinking just about other things, but not about that," she said, according to ESPN.
Williams' next opportunity to score her 24th Grand Slam title will be at Wimbledon, which kicks off on June 28. "I'm kind of excited to switch surfaces," she said of Wimbledon's grass court after exiting Roland-Garros' clay court. "Historically, I have done pretty well on grass." Her 24th singles title would tie her with Margaret Court's record-setting 1973 achievement.
Source: People.com