On Wednesday Venus and Serena Williams were bounced from the French Open, losing to lesser-known opponents in the second round, the Associated Press reports.
In what many are calling a stunning upset, Serena, the defending French Open champion, lost to Garbine Muguruza of Spain in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. This marks the second time that Serena has fallen in the early rounds at Roland Garros Stadium. In 2012 she was upset in the first round.
Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia eliminated Serena's older sister Venus 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
If the sisters had won their second-round matches, they would have faced each other in the third round.
"It was one of those days. You can't be on every day, and, gosh, I hate to be off during a Grand Slam," the top-seeded Serena said during a press conference, the Associated Press reports. "It happens, you know. It's not the end of the world. It is what it is."
According to AP, Serena got off to a slow start against the 20-year-old Muguruza and would finish the match with 29 unforced errors.
"Just nothing really worked," Serena said. "I don't know anything that actually worked."
Venus was competitive early, winning the first set, but couldn't hold off the 19-year-old Schmiedlova, who responded handily by taking eight of nine games, winning 2-1. AP notes that "this marks the eighth time in Venus' last nine major tournaments that she has failed to win more than one match."
"I felt like this was a match that I was most likely going to win. I'm sure—I don't know how Serena felt, but I'm sure she feels like that every time she goes on the court," Venus said. "So I think our expectation was to play in the next round."
Read more at the Associated Press.