Victoria Azarenka suffers upset loss in second round of French Open
On the same day that tennis living legend Serena Williams withdrew from the French Open due to a lingering left Achilles injury, former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka suffered a surprising 6-2, 6-2 defeat to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the tournament's second round.
Azarenka, 31, appeared to be on the cusp of relocating her top form as summer gave way to the fall months. She completed a journey to the U.S. Open Final but lost to Naomi Osaka 6-1, 3-6, 3-6. Azarenka's best French Open finish remains an appearance in a 2013 semifinal match that she dropped to Maria Sharapova.
As ESPN noted, the early exits of Azarenka and Williams confirmed that none of this year's U.S. Open semifinalists will play in Paris beyond Wednesday. Osaka withdrew before the start of the tournament, and Jennifer Brady fell in the first round.
Per the WTA Staff, Azarenka committed 36 unforced errors in the loss to Schmiedlova.
More must-reads: