Serena Williams Out at Indian Wells, Retires in 2nd Set vs. Garbine Muguruza

Serena Williams will have to wait for her first title of 2019.

The 10th-seeded American was forced to retire in the second set of her matchup against No. 20 Garbine Muguruza on Sunday in the third round of the 2019 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California. Muguruza advanced by the score of 6-3, 1-0.

Muguruza offered her best wishes to Williams after the match:

Williams was the household name and unquestionably one of the all-time greats with 72 WTA singles titles and 23 Grand Slams in her career, but Muguruza has enjoyed a level of success against her that most can only dream of after this win. She is now 3-3 against Williams and has won the last two, with the other coming at the 2016 French Open.

Muguruza looked primed to challenge when she defeated Lauren Davis in straight sets in the second round as Williams handled Victoria Azarenka in straight sets in her second-round matchup.

The retirement was an unfortunate turn of events for Williams after she appeared to be well on her way to a straightforward victory.

She won the first three games of the first set before Muguruza seized control and won the next six. The victor converted all three of her break points, making up for a pedestrian 65 percent of her first-service points won, per the event's official website.

Williams is a two-time champion at the BNP Paribas Open, but those victories came in 1999 and 2001. She lost to her sister, Venus, in the third round of last year's tournament and fell in the final in 2016 and the semifinals in 2015.

Notably, she skipped the tournament from her 2001 championship until she returned in 2015. Greg Botelho of CNN explained she was booed in the 2001 final, while her father, Richard, said he faced racial abuse.

Williams said she wouldn't return as a result but was greeted with a raucous ovation when she did after a 14-year hiatus.

She is still looking for her first title at the event since the return, though, and was unable to finish Sunday's match.

What's Next?

Muguruza advances to the round of 16 and will face the winner of the match between No. 7 Kiki Bertens and Johanna Konta.

Muguruza is 2-2 against Konta and defeated her earlier this year at the Australian Open but is a mere 1-3 against Bertens. Bertens beat Muguruza earlier this year.