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PARIS. — Serena Williams’ bid to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title was thwarted again on Saturday when she suffered her earliest exit at the tennis majors in almost five years, prompting 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.

She will be 38 in September and her 23rd and most recent Slam triumph was at the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant.

After giving birth to daughter Olympia Alexis in September 2017, she returned to Grand Slam tennis at Roland Garros in 2018, making the last 16 where she had been set to resume her bitter rivalry with Maria Sharapova.

An arm injury torpedoed that meeting and stalled her assault on a fourth title in Paris after 2002, 2013 and 2015.

Defeat in the 2018 Wimbledon final to Angelique Kerber, and at the US Open championship match, where her now-infamous meltdown overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s title triumph, followed. Her Australian Open campaign in January ended in a quarter-final 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 — she retired to Garbine Muguruza in the third round of Indian Wells, withdrew after winning a round in Miami, and pulled out after winning a round on the clay in Rome due to a right knee injury.

But the American remains defiant over her longevity.

“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. Williams said she will try again to equal Court’s record at Wimbledon in July where she will be chasing an eighth title at the All England Club. — AFP.