PARIS (AP) Serena Williams is 53-2 on clay over the past three seasons, and she heads into the French Open as the defending champion for the first time since 2003.
The No. 1-ranked Williams says she's not sure why she's now so good on the slow surface, but adds: ''Better late than never, right?''
One way to view her improvement on clay is simply in the context of a career renaissance that began, not coincidentally, right after a surprising exit against Virginie Razzano at the 2012 French Open, the only first-round loss for Williams in 54 Grand Slam tournaments.
Since that setback, the 32-year-old Williams has won four of the last seven majors, raising her Grand Slam total to 17.
On Sunday, she faces 138th-ranked Alize Lim, a wild-card entry from France.
