Death, taxes and Samantha Stosur failing to perform at her home slam.
The Queenslander's lamentable record at Melbourne Park continued on Tuesday evening with a first-round loss to rising Ukrainian star Dayana Yastremska - her fourth-straight defeat in the Australian Open's opening round.
Still, the 34-year-old is refusing to be downbeat on what the loss means for her season.
Stosur, the only Australian woman to win a major since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980, lost to the 18-year-old 7-5 6-2 in one hour and 18 minutes.
The 34-year-old's latest defeat was typically disappointing, collapsing from an early break to lose 12 of the next 15 games.
As ever, Stosur teased at success.
The baseliner came out swinging, overcoming her opponent with powerful strokes to lead 4-1, much to the delight of the Melbourne Arena crowd.
Then it unravelled.
Yastremska started to impose her own power game, sweeping away Stosur's chances.
The final winner count - a tally which Stosur used to dominate - read 21-13 in the Ukrainian's favour.
"It's still disappointing to go out but I don't feel like I played a bad match to be honest," Stosur said.
"From 5-2 I don't feel like my level dropped dramatically or anything. She hit like five returns on my shoelaces and broke me. That really gave her confidence."
Stosur finished 2018 with six-straight losses, but vowed to improve in 2019 with no hint of an endpoint to her career.
"It's not disastrous or dire straits. I feel like I'm moving in the right direction," she said.
"The year's not over because the Australian Open is over. There's a huge amount of tennis to be played.
"I feel like I'm in a really good place ... yeah it's a tough start but many other people have had a tough start too."
Yastremska is 16 years Stosur's junior and Tuesday night's win was her first victory at a major after making a grand-slam debut last year at Flushing Meadows.
"I'm so excited. This day will stay forever in my memory," Yastremska said, holding back tears.
"Within this two weeks, I hope two weeks, I hope people will know more and more (about me)."
