<p class="title">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The bare figures do not making encouraging reading.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Williams will be 38 in September while her 23rd and most recent Slam triumph was at the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since Melbourne, Williams had been unable to finish the three tournaments she entered.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Despite that grim record, the American, who was seeded 10 in Paris, is determined to return to the peak of her powers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"At least I can start trying to put the time in now. It's just been a really gruelling season."</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It wasn't possible, but I'll take that. I'll take the win over the hitting. Saying it nicely."</p>
<p class="title">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The bare figures do not making encouraging reading.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Williams will be 38 in September while her 23rd and most recent Slam triumph was at the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since Melbourne, Williams had been unable to finish the three tournaments she entered.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Despite that grim record, the American, who was seeded 10 in Paris, is determined to return to the peak of her powers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"At least I can start trying to put the time in now. It's just been a really gruelling season."</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It wasn't possible, but I'll take that. I'll take the win over the hitting. Saying it nicely."</p>