Serena Williams' bid to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title was thwarted again when she suffered her earliest exit at the majors in almost five years, leading to more questions over her long-term future at the highest level.
Her 6-2, 7-5 French Open third round defeat by US compatriot Sofia Kenin meant that she failed again to move level with Margaret Court's majors record set between 1960 and 1973.
The bare figures do not making encouraging reading.
Williams will be 38 in September while her 23rd and most recent Slam triumph was at the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant.
After giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September 2017, she returned to Grand Slam tennis at Roland Garros in 2018, making the last 16 where a n arm injury torpedoed her assault on a fourth title in Paris.
Defeat in the 2018 Wimbledon final to Angelique Kerber and at the US Open championship match, where her infamous meltdown overshadowed Naomi Osaka's title triumph, followed her Paris heartbreak.
Her Australian Open campaign in January ended in a quarterfinal loss to Karolina Pliskova despite having led 5-1 in the final set and holding four match points.
Since Melbourne, Williams had been unable to finish the three tournaments she entered.
Despite that grim record, the American, who was seeded 10 in Paris, is determined to return to the peak of her powers.
"If I was told I would only make the third round here, I would have thought they were lying, because I wouldn't expect to have gotten only to the third round," said Williams after her loss on Saturday.
"But the optimistic part is I haven't been able to be on the court as much as I would have," she said, adding that she may even take a wildcard into a pre-Wimbledon event.
"At least I can start trying to put the time in now. It's just been a really gruelling season."
Kenin, who wasn't even born when Williams made her Paris debut in 1998, revealed that the two had tentatively planned to practice together at the start of the season.
"I texted Patrick (Serena's coach Patrick Mouratoglou) during pre-season. Serena wanted to hit. I was so happy when he answered me. I was, like, 'Oh, my God, Patrick texted me'. And he said, like, we'll keep in touch.
"It wasn't possible, but I'll take that. I'll take the win over the hitting. Saying it nicely."