Serena Williams loses in Berlin doubles ahead of Wimbledon return

LONDON: Serena Williams was beaten in straight sets in the Berlin Open doubles on Tuesday, just hours after it was confirmed that she will return to Wimbledon alongside her sister Venus Williams.

Williams and her Czech partner Karolina Muchova were defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Mexico's Giuliana Olmos and New Zealand's Erin Routliffe. The pair dropped the opening set after Williams was broken in her second service game. In the second set, they were broken on Muchova's serve midway through and could not recover.

After the match, Williams said she felt sharper than in her previous outing on grass.

I felt pretty good out there. I felt actually more nimble and more sturdy and quicker than the first match in Queens,

Williams added:

I felt overall pretty good, just physically and quickness. I think you need a lot of quickness on grass.

The Berlin match was the 44-year-old's second appearance since announcing her unexpected comeback earlier in June. She had won her first match back at Queen's Club last Monday, but that tournament ended when her doubles partner Victoria Mboko was injured.

Asked why she chose Muchova as her doubles partner, Williams responded with a laugh.

Czech players have given me nothing but trouble throughout my whole career.

So if you can't beat them, join them.

Williams stepped away from tennis in 2022, but said earlier this month that she wanted to return in order to play in front of her two young daughters. In Berlin, she showed flashes of the power that defined her career, although she lacked rhythm at times after being away for nearly four years. Her movement improved as the match progressed, and she also displayed the strong serve and forehand that were central to her success.

With one final singles wildcard still available for Wimbledon, which starts on June 29, Williams dismissed the idea that she was ready for a singles comeback.

You think I'm ready for singles?

I need to get to work.

Williams won the last of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles at the 2017 Australian Open, while her most recent Wimbledon title came in 2016. She and Venus Williams have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including six at Wimbledon.