"I've been through death, I had surgery, I've been through a lot" - When Serena Williams commented on French Open rematch vs Justine Henin

Serena Williams has had her fair share of troubles despite monopolizing the top echelons of women's tennis. Even though she has won 23 Major titles, there were a few junctures in her illustrious career that impacted her greatly.

The most distressing moment of the American's career was her older sister Yetunde Price's murder in late 2003. Price was a hardworking individual and had multiple streams of income; she not only worked as a nurse and a hairstylist but also worked as the Williams sisters' personal assistant.

Disaster struck on the night of September 14, 2003, when Yetunde Price and her boyfriend were gunned down by a street gang in Compton. Her older sister's brutal murder sent Serena Williams into a downward spiral soon after.

The American had an increasingly difficult year in 2003. She was embroiled in a controversial three-set semifinal encounter against Justine Henin at Roland Garros. Williams had been within touching distance of the finish line, having led her opponent by a break in the deciding set.

A slew of questionable calls from the umpire, however, affected Williams' focus during the match. She was also profusely booed by the partisan crowd towards the end of the match, which she eventually lost 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. The then-22-year-old was shaken by the cold reception to her as she left the court in tears.

Serena Williams made peace with the above experiences in 2007, if a feature by the New York Times is to be believed. She also referenced her knee surgery in 2003, saying:

“I’ve been through death. I had surgery I think since then. I’ve been through a lot. I let it go [Roland Garros semifinal match] and obviously, she did. Or whether she did or not, it doesn't matter. This a new year," she said back then.

Serena Williams won the 2007 Australian Open against all odds after troubles with chronic knee injury

Serena Williams appears to be ecstatic after winning the 2007 Australian Open title

Serena Williams had initially gotten off to a scintillating start in 2003, completing a 'Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam' by winning the Australian Open. The American's winning streak at the Majors was finally ended at the hands of Henin, who beat her in the semifinals of the French Open.

However, Williams soon exacted her revenge on the Belgian, thrashing her 6-3, 6-2 in their next match in the last four of Wimbledon. She won the summit clash at SW19 a few days later, beating Venus Williams in three sets to nab a career-sixth Major title.

Unfortunately, the American was forced to undergo left knee surgery to repair a tear in her quadriceps tendon later in the season. She was on the sidelines for the remainder of the year, and it wasn't until the Australian Open in 2005 that she tasted Grand Slam glory again.

Serena Williams' knee continued to bother her over the next few months. She was only able to play four tournaments in 2006 due to injury, and her ranking fell outside of the women's top 100 at one point in the season.

The American was undeterred by her string of bad luck, though. She proved her mettle at the beginning of 2007, by winning the Australian Open against all odds. Ranked 81st in the world, she beat her archrival Maria Sharapova for the loss of only three games in the championship match.

Williams was admittedly proud of her comeback while speaking to NYT in 2007, saying:

“It takes a strong person to be at the bottom of the barrel. I was really down there and it’s hard to be able to come back, especially when everyone seems against you and you have so many doubters.”