BERLIN, Germany — Just hours after officially confirming she will team up with sister Venus for Wimbledon doubles, 44-year-old tennis icon Serena Williams faced a straight-set exit at the Berlin Open on Tuesday. Williams and her Czech partner Karolina Muchova fell 6-4, 6-4 to the pairing of Giuliana Olmos of Mexico and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe, in only Williams’ second outing since her surprise comeback announcement earlier this month.
The opening set slipped away from Williams and Muchova after Williams dropped serve in her second service game. In the second set, a mid-set break of Muchova’s serve proved decisive, leaving the pair unable to mount a comeback and close out the match in Olmos and Routliffe’s favor.
Despite the loss, Williams offered a notably positive assessment of her physical performance post-match. “I felt pretty good out there. I felt actually more nimble and more sturdy and quicker than the first match in Queens,” she told reporters, adding that she felt solid overall in terms of physical conditioning and speed — two attributes she noted are critical for fast-paced grass court play.
This Berlin run marks Williams’ second tournament appearance since she ended a two-year retirement and announced her return to competitive tennis in June. Her first comeback match at London’s Queen’s Club last week ended in a opening-round win, but her run was cut short when doubles partner Victoria Mboko suffered an injury that forced the pair to withdraw.
When asked why she opted to pair with Muchova, a top Czech player, for the Berlin event, Williams delivered a characteristically witty response: “Czech players have given me nothing but trouble throughout my whole career. So if you can’t beat them, join them.”
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion originally stepped away from professional tennis in 2022, saying she wanted to prioritize time with her family. When she announced her comeback, she cited a desire to compete in front of her two young daughters as the core motivation for her return.
Though flashes of the dominant power game that made Williams a generational force in women’s tennis for 20 years were visible on court, the nearly four-year break from full-time competition left Williams searching for rhythm, particularly in the early stages of the match. She steadily improved as the contest progressed, however, refining her footwork and unleashing the blistering serve and powerful forehand that were the hallmarks of her historic career.
With the All England Club set to name one final singles wildcard for Wimbledon, which kicks off on June 29, speculation has mounted that Williams could pursue a singles run at the iconic Grand Slam. The tennis legend quickly shut down those rumors, however. “You think I’m ready for singles?” she asked reporters. “I need to get to work.”
Williams last claimed a Grand Slam singles title at the 2017 Australian Open, and her most recent Wimbledon singles win came in 2016. When she takes the court at Wimbledon next month alongside Venus, the pair will be defending a legendary doubles legacy: together, the Williams sisters have claimed 14 Grand Slam doubles crowns, six of which have come at the London grass court major.