Venus Williams said she was “not looking forward yet” to 2021 after suffering a third successive first round exit at the French Open on Sunday with a loss in straight sets to Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
The 40-year-old Williams, runner-up at Roland Garros to sister Serena in 2002, lost 6-4, 6-4 to an opponent who snapped a 12-match Grand Slam losing streak.
It marked Williams’ third first round defeat in a row at a Slam after exiting the US Open and Australian Open at the same stage.
“It’s been a very long year of quarantine. Now I’ll get to rest. So I’m looking forward to that,” said Williams, insisting she would not play again this season.
“I’m going home from here. I’m done. If there is somewhere to play, I won’t be there.”
Williams dropped serve six times in cold, blustery conditions in Paris as Schmiedlova registered her first…
