section_path: Professional career/2004–2007: Injuries and comeback
section_name: 2004–2007: Injuries and comeback
paragraph_text: 2004–2007: Injuries and comeback
  
  After eight months away from tennis, Williams began her comeback at the NASDAQ-100 Open in March 2004, where she won the title for the third consecutive year. Although ranked No.7, Williams was seeded second at the French Open, where she lost to Capriati in the quarterfinals. A few weeks later, Williams was seeded first at Wimbledon, even though her ranking had dropped to No.10. She won six matches en route to the final, where Maria Sharapova defeated her. The loss caused her to drop out of the top 10 for the first time since 1999. Later that summer, Williams reached her third final of the year at the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles, where she lost to Lindsay Davenport.
  
  Williams was seeded third at the 2004 US Open, where she faced Capriati in the quarterfinals. During the match, umpire Mariana Alves made a call that favored Capriati, but subsequent video review showed that her call was incorrect. Williams argued with Alves over several other calls during the match, which Capriati eventually won. Williams acknowledged that her loss was primarily due to her 57 unforced errors, but she nevertheless felt "cheated" and accused Alves of temporary insanity. The controversy renewed calls for, and was widely given credit for, the adoption of new technology such as the MacCAM and Hawk-Eye systems.
  
  Williams won her second title of the year at the China Open in September, defeating US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. Williams's successful season allowed her to qualify for the Tour Championships, held again in Los Angeles. She lost to Sharapova in the final, where she suffered an abdominal injury. Williams finished 2004 ranked No.7, but did not win a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first season since 2001.
  
  Following Venus's early exit from the 2005 Australian Open, Williams rejected suggestions that she and her sister were a declining force in tennis. She defeated top seed Davenport to win the tournament, claiming her second Australian Open trophy and seventh Grand Slam singles title. The victory moved her back to No.2. Williams completed just two tournaments between the Australian Open and Wimbledon, losing to Venus in Miami and Francesca Schiavone in Italy. A reoccurring ankle injury caused her to miss the French Open. She returned to Wimbledon as the 4th-seeded player, but was defeated in the third round. At the US Open, Williams lost to her sister in the fourth round. Williams played just one more match that fall, a loss to No.127 Sun Tiantian at the China Open in Beijing. She failed to qualify for the year-end championship for the first time since 1998, and she finished 2005 ranked No.11.
  
  Williams made her 2006 debut at the Australian Open, defending her title. After she lost to Daniela Hantuchová in the third round, she told the press that she was injured. In her biography, Williams wrote that she was suffering from depression during this time. She stayed away from tennis for six months during the 2006 season, and began seeing a therapist daily. After a chance meeting with a young girl who idolized Williams and believed in her, Williams signed up to play in Cincinnati in July, her first tournament since January. She had slipped to No.139, her lowest ranking since 1997. On her return, Williams defeated Myskina and Bethanie Mattek, before losing in the semifinals to Vera Zvonareva. She also reached the semifinals in Los Angeles, losing to Janković in straight sets. Williams needed a wildcard to enter the US Open, as her No.139 ranking was too low to automatically qualify her to play. By the time the tournament began, however, she had risen to 79th. She lost to top-seeded Mauresmo in the fourth round. Williams finished the year ranked No.95, her lowest year-end ranking since 1997.
  
  Williams began 2007 with renewed confidence. She stated her intention to return to the top of the rankings, a goal that was labeled "deluded" by commentator Pat Cash. Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the Hobart International, a warm-up for the Australian Open, where she was unseeded and widely regarded as "out of shape". Shortly before her first match, a representative from Nike told her the company might cancel her sponsorship if she did not perform at her customary level. Williams claimed that Nike's ultimatum meant she would have to reach the quarterfinals at least.
  
  The Nike situation did not distract Williams, as she lost just three games to Mara Santangelo and defeated Anne Kremer in straight sets. By this point, a blister had developed on her foot and she had contracted a cold. In the third round, Williams found herself two points away from losing to Nadia Petrova, but fought back to win in three sets. She then made it to the final, defeating Jelena Janković, Shahar Pe'er and Nicole Vaidišová along the way. Williams described them as "good players... who certainly didn't expect an overweight, out-of-shape, has-been champion... to give them a game." Commentator Tracy Austin said she expected Sharapova to easily defeat Williams in the final. Williams thought the commentary was mean, and used it as motivation to win. She triumphed over Sharapova, losing just three games; it was her first tournament title in two years. Williams became the first player since Chris O'Neil to capture the title without being seeded. The victory, which elevated her to No.14, was her third Australian Open title and eighth career Grand Slam singles title. Williams dedicated the achievement to her deceased half-sister Yetunde.
  
  Her performance in the final was described in the press as one of the best performances of her career, and "arguably the most powerful display ever seen in women's tennis". Williams won the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami for the fourth time by defeating Henin, but then lost to her in the quarterfinals at the French Open. During a fourth round match against Hantuchová at Wimbledon, Williams collapsed from an acute muscle spasm. After a medical timeout, rain forced play to be suspended for nearly two hours. When the players returned, Williams won the match. Williams then lost her quarterfinal match against Henin. At the US Open, Williams lost her third consecutive Grand Slam singles quarterfinal to Henin. Williams reached the final of the Kremlin Cup, but lost to Elena Dementieva. She qualified for the WTA Championships, but retired from her first match with a knee injury and subsequently withdrew from the event. Williams finished 2007 as No.7 and the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.
  
  After eight months away from tennis, Williams began her comeback at the NASDAQ-100 Open in March 2004, where she won the title for the third consecutive year. Although ranked No.7, Williams was seeded second at the French Open, where she lost to Capriati in the quarterfinals. A few weeks later, Williams was seeded first at Wimbledon, even though her ranking had dropped to No.10. She won six matches en route to the final, where Maria Sharapova defeated her. The loss caused her to drop out of the top 10 for the first time since 1999. Later that summer, Williams reached her third final of the year at the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles, where she lost to Lindsay Davenport.
  
  Williams was seeded third at the 2004 US Open, where she faced Capriati in the quarterfinals. During the match, umpire Mariana Alves made a call that favored Capriati, but subsequent video review showed that her call was incorrect. Williams argued with Alves over several other calls during the match, which Capriati eventually won. Williams acknowledged that her loss was primarily due to her 57 unforced errors, but she nevertheless felt "cheated" and accused Alves of temporary insanity. The controversy renewed calls for, and was widely given credit for, the adoption of new technology such as the MacCAM and Hawk-Eye systems.
  
  Williams won her second title of the year at the China Open in September, defeating US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. Williams's successful season allowed her to qualify for the Tour Championships, held again in Los Angeles. She lost to Sharapova in the final, where she suffered an abdominal injury. Williams finished 2004 ranked No.7, but did not win a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first season since 2001.
  
  Following Venus's early exit from the 2005 Australian Open, Williams rejected suggestions that she and her sister were a declining force in tennis. She defeated top seed Davenport to win the tournament, claiming her second Australian Open trophy and seventh Grand Slam singles title. The victory moved her back to No.2. Williams completed just two tournaments between the Australian Open and Wimbledon, losing to Venus in Miami and Francesca Schiavone in Italy. A reoccurring ankle injury caused her to miss the French Open. She returned to Wimbledon as the 4th-seeded player, but was defeated in the third round. At the US Open, Williams lost to her sister in the fourth round. Williams played just one more match that fall, a loss to No.127 Sun Tiantian at the China Open in Beijing. She failed to qualify for the year-end championship for the first time since 1998, and she finished 2005 ranked No.11.
  
  Williams made her 2006 debut at the Australian Open, defending her title. After she lost to Daniela Hantuchová in the third round, she told the press that she was injured. In her biography, Williams wrote that she was suffering from depression during this time. She stayed away from tennis for six months during the 2006 season, and began seeing a therapist daily. After a chance meeting with a young girl who idolized Williams and believed in her, Williams signed up to play in Cincinnati in July, her first tournament since January. She had slipped to No.139, her lowest ranking since 1997. On her return, Williams defeated Myskina and Bethanie Mattek, before losing in the semifinals to Vera Zvonareva. She also reached the semifinals in Los Angeles, losing to Janković in straight sets. Williams needed a wildcard to enter the US Open, as her No.139 ranking was too low to automatically qualify her to play. By the time the tournament began, however, she had risen to 79th. She lost to top-seeded Mauresmo in the fourth round. Williams finished the year ranked No.95, her lowest year-end ranking since 1997.
  
  Williams began 2007 with renewed confidence. She stated her intention to return to the top of the rankings, a goal that was labeled "deluded" by commentator Pat Cash. Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the Hobart International, a warm-up for the Australian Open, where she was unseeded and widely regarded as "out of shape". Shortly before her first match, a representative from Nike told her the company might cancel her sponsorship if she did not perform at her customary level. Williams claimed that Nike's ultimatum meant she would have to reach the quarterfinals at least.
  
  The Nike situation did not distract Williams, as she lost just three games to Mara Santangelo and defeated Anne Kremer in straight sets. By this point, a blister had developed on her foot and she had contracted a cold. In the third round, Williams found herself two points away from losing to Nadia Petrova, but fought back to win in three sets. She then made it to the final, defeating Jelena Janković, Shahar Pe'er and Nicole Vaidišová along the way. Williams described them as "good players... who certainly didn't expect an overweight, out-of-shape, has-been champion... to give them a game." Commentator Tracy Austin said she expected Sharapova to easily defeat Williams in the final. Williams thought the commentary was mean, and used it as motivation to win. She triumphed over Sharapova, losing just three games; it was her first tournament title in two years. Williams became the first player since Chris O'Neil to capture the title without being seeded. The victory, which elevated her to No.14, was her third Australian Open title and eighth career Grand Slam singles title. Williams dedicated the achievement to her deceased half-sister Yetunde.
  
  Her performance in the final was described in the press as one of the best performances of her career, and "arguably the most powerful display ever seen in women's tennis". Williams won the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami for the fourth time by defeating Henin, but then lost to her in the quarterfinals at the French Open. During a fourth round match against Hantuchová at Wimbledon, Williams collapsed from an acute muscle spasm. After a medical timeout, rain forced play to be suspended for nearly two hours. When the players returned, Williams won the match. Williams then lost her quarterfinal match against Henin. At the US Open, Williams lost her third consecutive Grand Slam singles quarterfinal to Henin. Williams reached the final of the Kremlin Cup, but lost to Elena Dementieva. She qualified for the WTA Championships, but retired from her first match with a knee injury and subsequently withdrew from the event. Williams finished 2007 as No.7 and the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.