French farewells for Fed, Serena?

Shock exits prompt speculation this could be legends' last clay-court major

PARIS－Serena Williams turns 40 in September. Roger Federer hits that milestone the month before. No one knows how many more French Open appearances each will make, and this year's tournament ended for both on Sunday.

Williams fell way behind and could not put together a comeback against a much younger and less-experienced opponent in the fourth round at Roland Garros, losing 6-3,7-5 to Elena Rybakina－who wasn't even born when the American made her tournament debut in 1998.

Asked whether that might have been her last match at the clay-court major, Williams responded: "Yeah, I'm definitely not thinking about it at all. I'm definitely thinking just about other things, but not about that."

Her defeat came hours after Federer withdrew, saying he needed to let his body recover ahead of Wimbledon after a long third-round victory that ended at nearly 1 am on Sunday.

Wimbledon－which Federer has won eight times and Williams seven－begins June 28.

"I'm kind of excited to switch surfaces," Williams said. "Historically I have done pretty well on grass."

She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles; Federer has won 20.They are two of the sport's greatest and most popular players, so it was quite a blow to the tournament, its TV partners and tennis fans to see both gone from the French Open field one after the other－and a week after Naomi Osaka pulled out, citing a need for a mental health break.

Williams has won the French Open three times. But the American hasn't been past the fourth round in Paris since she was the runner-up in 2016.

Rybakina is a 21-year-old from Kazakhstan who is ranked 22nd. This was just the seventh Grand Slam appearance for Rybakina－and the first time she ever made it so much as past the second round.

"When I was small, of course, I was watching her matches on TV.So many Grand Slams," Rybakina said.

Against Williams, whose right thigh carried a heavy tape job, Rybakina hit big, flat serves. She dealt with and managed to steady her nerves. She even produced the occasional return winner off Williams' speedy and spectacularly gifted serve, breaking her five times, including in the penultimate game.

"I knew that the serve was going to be difficult for me to return. She's powerful, but I was ready," Rybakina said. "Then, after a few points, I felt... comfortable."

"I'm so close. There is literally a point here, a point there, that could change the whole course of the match," Williams said. "I'm not winning those points. That, like, literally could just change everything."

Since winning the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant for her most recent major singles title－No 23 set a record for the professional era－Williams has come close to tying Margaret Court's all-time mark of 24. That includes four runner-up finishes at Grand Slam tournaments, most recently against Bianca Andreescu at the 2019 US Open.

But since then, Williams has been beaten twice in semifinals, and once each in the third and fourth rounds. Last year at the French Open, she withdrew before the second round, citing an injured left Achilles.

Until now, Federer had never pulled out of a Grand Slam tournament once he had started competing in it.

'Listening to my body'

Earlier, Federer made the decision to withdraw from what was possibly his last French Open, unwilling to risk his troublesome knee after an injury-plagued past 18 months.

Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam title winner, who will be 40 in August, had battled over three and a half hours until 12:45 am Sunday morning to reach the last 16.

"After discussions with my team, I've decided I will need to pull out of Roland Garros today," Federer said.

"After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation it's important that I listen to my body and make sure I don't push myself too quickly on my road to recovery.

"I am thrilled to have gotten three matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on court."

It was the first time Federer has conceded a walkover at a Grand Slam, coming at his 80th major.

The Swiss star, playing only his third tournament since last year's Australian Open, was due to play Italy's Matteo Berrettini on Monday for a place in the quarterfinals.

Federer's return this year was only his second French Open participation since 2015.

Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, fancied to reach his first Grand Slam final, with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the other half of the draw, sealed his return to the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta.

A semifinalist at the past two majors, Tsitsipas was beaten in a thrilling five-setter by Djokovic in Paris eight months ago.

He will next face twice Grand Slam finalist and second seed Daniil Medvedev. The Russian, who hadn't won a French Open match before this week, eased past Chile's Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 7-5.

Alexander Zverev progressed to the quarterfinals for the third time in four years with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win over Japan's Kei Nishikori.

The German sixth seed goes on to face world No 46 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain.

Agencies Via Xinhua