‘Not Used to Crying’ – ‘Tough’ Serena Williams Once Received Glaring Reality Check as Fans Showed Their Wrath in 2003

When it comes to tennis, there are hardly a few who managed to display dominance on the tennis courts like Serena Williams did during her time as a professional player. From causing havoc on the court to bagging a win at whichever court she played, the legendary American was a pure force to be dealt with. However, things weren’t always the same for the mighty Williams.

During the early stages of her career, she had to go through a lot of backlash and hatred. One among them was an incident at the Roland Garros back in 2003. Back then, Serena Williams not only played against her Belgian opponent, Justine Henin-Hardenne, but also against the whole crowd. However, the result was a teary-eyed Williams.

Serena Williams was in tears after the crowd went against her at the French Open in 2003

In one of the most remarkable matches in the history of the sport, Serena Williams, the top-seeded defending champion, faced the fourth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne. The clash was not special because it was Serena Williams who was playing it. It was the time when it was Serena Williams vs the crowd at Roland Garros back in 2003.

Despite losing the first set in an emphatic semi-final, she went ahead to win the second set. However, in the third and decider set, she could not hold on to the dominance displayed by Heinin-Hardenne. The final score of the match read 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in favor of Henin-Hardenne. With the win, she also marked a historic moment in tennis, setting the stage for the first all-Belgian Grand Slam final. It was a match that showcased the fighting spirit of an upcoming tennis legend.

However, after the match, Serena was really disappointed and even started to cry. She said that never in her life had she experienced anything of this sort. She even mentioned that she has fought numerous battles, and this was one among them.

“It was just a tough crowd out there today,” she said. “I’m not used to crying. It’s a little difficult. All my life I’ve had to fight. So it’s just another fight I’m going to have to learn how to win. I’ve got to just keep smiling.”

Thus, this was one of the instances where Serena Williams not only had to fight with her opponent on the court but also the crowd along with it. However, this became a turning point in her career. But, what was even more surprising was that she even accused her opponent of lying during the match.

Serena accused her opponent of ‘lying and fabricating’

After the match was over, Serena Williams did not hold any words back in accusing her opponent. During the third set, Henin-Hardenne failed to speak up to the umpire when his mistake led to Serena’s right to replay her service. Serena was very disappointed by the act after the match got over. She came up and spoke about her rival while accusing her of lying and fabricating.

“I’m a little disappointed with her,” Williams said. “It wasn’t the turning point of the match. I should have still won the game, but lying and fabricating is not fair.”

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Thus, the semi-final match at the French Open back in 2003 was filled with controversies and action. While Henin-Hardenne made her way into the final and eventually won the title, Serena Williams had to suffer from a shocker.

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