Serena Williams' preparations for Wimbledon took a hit on Tuesday as she and her doubles partner Karolina Muchova suffered a defeat in the opening round of the Berlin Open. The match ended with a score of 6-4, 6-4 against opponents Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe.

Williams, who made a remarkable return to the court at Queen's last week at the age of 44, had limited her competitive play to just one match in London due to an injury to her previous partner, Victoria Mboko. Despite this recent setback, Williams received a wild card to enter the women's doubles at Wimbledon alongside her sister, Venus Williams.

The match lasted 91 minutes, with Williams and Muchova having their first break point while leading 3-2 in the opening set, but they failed to capitalize. They found themselves trailing again in the second set after conceding a break at 3-2. Although they had a chance to level the score at 4-4, they couldn't convert it, allowing their opponents to take the win.

In her post-match comments, Williams expressed that she felt good physically, stating, "I felt actually more nimble and more sturdy and quicker than the first match in Queen's." Although she remains focused on doubles, there is still a possibility of her entering the singles competition at Wimbledon, as one WTA wild card remains unannounced.

When asked about the potential for singles play, Williams said, "Do you think I'm ready for singles?" and engaged in a light-hearted conversation with Muchova about her readiness. The uncertainty surrounding her participation adds to the intrigue as Wimbledon approaches, starting on June 29.