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