"It's difficult, all my life I've had to fight" - When Serena Williams turned emotional after being booed by fans against Justine Henin

The 2003 French Open semifinal between Serena Williams and Justine Henin was supposed to be a battle between two of the game’s best. Instead, it turned into one of the most controversial matches of American's career.

Williams had dealt with hostile crowds before, but this time, the atmosphere was different. Fans cheered her mistakes, booed between her serves, and made it clear they wanted Henin to win. The relentless negativity got to her, and after the tough three-set loss, Williams couldn’t hold back her emotions.

She broke down in tears during her press conference.

"It’s a little difficult; all of my life I’ve had to fight," Williams said after the match, holding back tears. "So it’s just another fight I’m going to have to learn how to win. That’s all."

What made this encounter even more problematic was a moment in the third set, when Henin appeared to raise her hand to indicate she wasn’t ready for Williams’ serve, yet didn’t admit to it when questioned by the chair umpire. The incident further riled up the already one-sided crowd.

Williams, who was already struggling with her serve, also dealt with the constant interruptions from the stands.

"I think it’s bad when people start booing in between serves," Williams said. "You’re not serving well anyway, and then you miss your first serve. Everyone’s booing and screaming. The second serve, you really slow it down to get it in."

Despite fighting until the end, Williams ultimately fell to Henin 2-6, 6-4, 5-7. Her 33-match Grand Slam winning run came to an end with this loss.

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Serena Williams was 'disappointed' with Justine Henin not acknowledging that she had called for time when the American served

Serena Williams and Justine Henin at the Sony Ericsson Open in 2007 - Source: Getty

With the crowd already against Serena Williams, tensions escalated in the third set of the 2003 French Open semifinal when Justine Henin appeared to request a delay, but the chair umpire did not see it.

Williams missed her first serve but despite her protests, she was denied a second serve. The crowd's boos, however, grew louder. In turn, it rattled the American who went on to get broken.

"I was a little disappointed with her," Serena Williams said. "It wasn’t the turning point. I probably still should have won the game. But I think to start lying and fabricating, it’s not fair."

This loss, however, became just another chapter in Williams' career. She went on to win a total of 23 Grand Slam titles, a record for women in the Open Era.