Serena Williams vowed Wednesday to keep "soldiering on" in a bid to reach 24 Grand Slam titles, admitting her game needed work after a sensational collapse in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The 37-year-old American rallied back from a set down against Karolina Pliskova and was leading 5-1 in the final set before losing six games in a row to crash out 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
It was a cruel blow for a woman who has been chasing Margaret Court's 24 Slams since winning in Melbourne in 2017 while pregnant, then taking time off to have a baby before returning to Grand Slam action at the French Open last year.
She insisted another major win was still achievable despite the clock ticking.
"I mean, the big picture for me is always winning. I'm not going to sit here and lie about that," she said.
"But it hasn't happened yet, but I feel like it's going to happen. Just keep taking it one match at a time, just keep soldiering on, I guess."
- No excuses -
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"I rather think of it that way and know that it's going to happen sooner or later than making an excuse for myself. I don't like making excuses."
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