Serena Williams didn’t miss the short dip in the crowd despite the clear defeat: in front of her two children, the tennis legend had to accept her first defeat since her comeback – and still said a fitting farewell to the Berlin fans.
Before her Wimbledon return alongside her sister Venus Williams, she and her doubles partner Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) lost to the duo Giuliana Olmos (Mexico) and Erin Routliffe (New Zealand) at the Berlin Tennis Open 4:6, 4:6.
In the Steffi Graf Stadium, Williams repeatedly showed weaknesses in addition to powerful and effective groundstrokes. In particular, the first serve often didn’t come, and her legs seemed a bit heavy at the beginning. It was also clear that Williams and Muchova were not yet optimally coordinated with each other – especially in comparison to the well-rehearsed doubles specialists Olmos and Routliffe. The first sentence was consequently lost.
However, the 43-year-old’s fighting spirit was as strong as in previous days. After a failed shot, the American jumped up and down in anger, repeatedly pushing herself and her partner with an energetic “Let’s go.” Her eight-year-old daughter Olympia and two-year-old Adira River, who continually cheered her mother on, provided additional support.
But that didn’t help either. Williams and Muchova also suffered an early break in the second set and were unable to catch up. Williams will not be competing in singles in Berlin and can now fully prepare for her return to the “holy turf” of Wimbledon.
A few hours before the match in Berlin, the Wimbledon organizer announced that Serena and Venus Williams would receive a wildcard for the Grand Slam doubles competition (from June 29th). Serena Williams last competed at Church Road in 2022. A few months later, the 23-time Grand Slam winner ended her career after the US Open.