For the third consecutive major, Serena Williams reached the final four. And for the third consecutive major, she failed to emerge victorious. It leaves the world No. 1 stuck at 21 Grand Slam singles titles, one behind Steffi Graf for most in the Open era. Turning—or, in Williams' case, winning—21 is an achievement worth celebrating. But this party has stretched on too long for Williams, who must surely be growing weary of that number.
Today's loss to fourth-seeded Garbine Muguruza at the French Open may have been the least surprising loss of the bunch. Playing her fourth match in four days due to relentless rain, Williams came into today's contest with some injury concerns, but it was the Spaniard's form that ultimately determined the result. In her 7-5, 6-4 victory, Muguruza was broken just twice despite hitting nine double faults (she broke Williams four times) and won 79 points to Williams' 69. Her forehand was a fantastic weapon, creating difficult angles for Williams to contend with while hitting through the slow clay surface.
Just as importantly, Muguruza believed she could win. Having already played Williams in a Grand Slam final—last year, at Wimbledon, site of the American's last major victory—surely helped her in this pressure-packed moment. She'd also previously beaten Williams at Roland Garros, in 2014.
Still, when Williams saved four match points and held for 5-4 in the second set, Muguruza had to be feeling some doubt. It took quite a point to finally end the final: