Tennis icon Serena Williams is one of the most successful players at the French Open in the Open Era, where she won her second grand slam title of what would become a record-breaking, illustrious career in 2003.

Williams was 20 at the time and fired the imagination of tennis fans by winning the final against older sister Venus with a straight sets victory.

The American did not play at the French Open 2022, having appeared 19 times previously in Paris and won two doubles titles to accompany her impressive singles record.

Here’s Williams’ full record at the second grand slam of the year and a look at why she isn’t playing at the French Open 2023.

Is Serena Williams playing at the 2023 French Open? Williams is not playing at the French Open this year, extending her absence from the major since her run to the fourth round in 2021.

Now 41, the 23-time grand slam title winner has not played since losing in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic at the US Open in 2022

When did Serena Williams retire? Williams said she was “evolving away from tennis” in an article in Vogue magazine in August 2022, leading fans to assume that her appearance at Flushing Meadows would serve as her retirement tournament.

However, she also said that she had “never liked the word retirement” – and at a press conference two months later, she called the chances of her returning to action “very high”.

“I am not retired,” said Williams, adding that not playing for a competition “felt really weird”. “You can come to my house; I have a court.”

In February 2023, Williams said she was “at peace” with her decision and “leaning in” to her commitment to family life which she said had been the primary motive for her inactivity from tennis.

“I’m like, ‘oh my goodness. I gotta get out there’,” she added to E News. “But it’s hard for me to get out there. I did play the other day, and it’s just like, ‘there’s no way I shouldn’t be playing professional tennis’. There’s literally no excuse.

“But I mean, I guess there is an excuse, right? It’s hard because when I’m playing I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m pretty good at this. I can continue to do this,’ which not a lot of people can say.”