Serena Williams has seen many ups and downs in her career. A few moments she would definitely cherish while a few were forgettable. One such incident was her loss in the 2003 French Open semifinal. Serena was under the constant pressure of a booing crowd that supported her Belgian opponent, Justine Henin-Hardenne.

However, what Henin did was more surprising for Serena, who lost the match. The 23-time Grand Slam champion later accused her opponent of lying. After a few years, people almost forgot about the incident. However, Serena still remembered it and she reminded everyone again in 2011. Here’s what happened.

When Serena Williams remembered the 2003 French Open semifinal

Apart from the largely hostile crowd, Serena claims that her opponent, Justine Henin-Hardenne, lied to get a point. According to Serena, Henin raised her hands as a signal of being not ready to receive the serve. Serena hit the ball into the net.

However, the umpire didn’t see Henin asking her to stop and hence didn’t allow Serena to have her first serve again. Serena later accused her opponent of lying and fabricating.

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After a long time, Serena remembered the incident again in 2011. The 23-time Grand Slam champion took to her Twitter account and wrote, “Question- I keep hearing about an admittance to someone cheating me & lying about it after at the French open? Did she confess finally?”

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The loss hurt Serena deeply, as she was in great form and was the defending champion of the tournament.

Henin admitted she was not ready

While Serena accused her of lying and fabricating, the Belgian tennis star admitted that she was not ready to receive the serve.

However, she further said that it was something the umpire should look into and it was not her fault. After making it to the finals, Henin went on to defeat her compatriot Kim Clijsters to win the title.

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While both Serena and Henin seem to be true at their points, is it correct to blame Henin for the incident? Or is it purely the chair umpire’s fault? What’s your take on the incident? Let us know in the comments.