"My struggles seemed bigger than hers at the time of the French Open" - When Serena Williams recalled first-ever loss in opening round of a Grand Slam

Serena Williams suffered one of the most shocking defeats of her career at the 2012 French Open.

The American entered the tournament as the fifth seed and was drawn against Virginie Razzano, who had suffered the loss of her fiance and former coach Stephane Vidal to a brain tumor the previous year.

The Frenchwoman scripted a major upset by beating Williams 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 in three hours and six minutes. This was the first time she lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam.

Following the match, the American told the press that she was aware of Razzano's story. She also stated that everyone had their stories, pointing out her sister Venus' struggles and her own, having suffered a pulmonary embolism and a hematoma in 2011.

"I know of her story … we all have stories. I mean, I almost died and [her sister] Venus is struggling herself. So, you know, it's life. It just depends on how you deal with it. She obviously is dealing with it really well," Williams said.

Virginie Razzano said that Serena Williams looked at her with "far from friendly" eyes and she understood why as it was a defeat hard to digest.

“It’s true that she looked at me with far from friendly eyes. I understand. If I put myself in her place I could understand that. It’s something very hard to digest. I think she had a hard time. I don’t know if she’s better. I think she is. Her tennis certainly is all better," Razzano said.

The Frenchwoman also claimed that Williams had given her condolences on her fiance's death during the 2011 Wimbledon Championships and the two spoke for a few minutes.

“But I don’t have a bad feeling or relationship with her. In 2011, she came up to me in the gym at Wimbledon after I lost Stéphane and she gave me her condolences and we talked for five or 10 minutes," the Frenchwoman said.

Serena Williams spoke about the defeat to Razzano in an interview in 2013 with Christopher Clarey of The New York Times and called the Frenchwoman a strong woman. The American admitted that she wasn't happy for Razzano after her loss as she thought her own struggles seemed bigger than hers at the time of the French Open.

“She’s such a strong woman,” Williams said. “I wasn’t happy for her at that point because I was going through my own thing. My struggles seemed bigger than hers at the time of the French Open, but I also was happy for her to do well.”

Serena Williams suffered three first-round eliminations in Grand Slams

Serena Williams during the 2022 US Open

Serena Williams is one of the greatest competitors in Grand Slam history, with 23 Major singles titles to her name. The American endured only three eliminations in the opening round of Grand Slams throughout her career.

After 2012, she did not suffer another first-round exit until the 2021 Wimbledon Championships when she was forced to retire against Aliaksandra Sasnovich due to a leg injury.

The American also lost in the opening round of the grasscourt Major in 2022, with Harmony Tan defeating her 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(7).