It had been 15 years since Venus Williams last lost in the first round at Wimbledon. Until Monday.
Williams' stay in the 2012 Wimbledon Championships was a short one, as she fell 6-1, 6-3 on Monday to 79th-ranked Elena Vesnina.
In a match that lasted little more than an hour, Williams was broken five times and managed just one break herself. Williams has captured five Wimbledon championships over her career, but fielded questions on Monday about how much longer she plans to play after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder last summer.
Retirement isn't coming soon despite Monday's disappointment, Williams said during a press conference after her loss.
Pressed to say whether she planned to continue playing competitively after the Olympic Games next month, Venus Williams said: "I feel like I am a great player. I am a great player. Unfortunately, I had to deal with circumstances that people don't normally have to deal with in this sport.
"But I can't be discouraged by that, so I'm up for challenges. I have great tennis in me. I just need the opportunity. There's no way I'm just going to sit down and give up just because I have a hard time the first five or six freakin' tournaments back. You know, that's just not me."
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