“This is not obviously forever”: Serena Williams reflects on comeback plans after Berlin doubles loss

Tuesday, 16 June 2026 at 22:15

Venus and Serena Williams playing doubles together at 2022 US Open.

Serena Williams revealed that her daughter Olympia was the driving force behind her upcoming Wimbledon doubles reunion with sister Venus Williams after the pair received a wild card for the Championships, offering one of the most notable takeaways from her post-match press conference following her Berlin Ladies Open exit.

Williams and Karolina Muchova saw their doubles campaign come to an end on Tuesday, falling 6-4, 6-4 to Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe. The defeat closed Williams' week in Berlin, while Muchova remains alive in the singles draw after her victory over Zhang Shuai.

Although the result ended her participation in the tournament, the former World No. 1 used the media session to discuss a wide range of topics, including her upcoming Wimbledon appearance, her motivation for returning to professional tennis and even the possibility of playing alongside Coco Gauff in the future.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion also reflected on the influence of Venus Williams and Olympic skiing star Lindsey Vonn, both of whom played significant roles in encouraging her return after stepping away from the sport in 2022.

Olympia's suggestion leads to Wimbledon reunion

Wimbledon recently announced its initial wild card selections, confirming that Serena and Venus Williams will reunite in doubles at the All England Club. The sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including six Wimbledon crowns, but according to Serena, the idea did not come from either of them.

Instead, the suggestion came from Olympia, Serena's eight-year-old daughter, who encouraged her mother to partner Venus again. Serena described the conversation as a simple but decisive moment.

"Well, I think it's going to be fun. My daughter Olympia told me that I should play with Venus. She's always right," the former world No. 1 said at press conference in Berlin "She's like 'Mom you should play with Venus'. She's very serious, she's very smart. She's very wise. I said 'OK Olympia, we'll see if we can do it.'"

The 23-time Grand Slam champino was also asked whether she would be interested in receiving the remaining Wimbledon singles main-draw wild card.

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion responded with humour, producing one of the lighter moments of the press conference. "Oh my Gosh, there's some left? Would you be interested if I took it? You think I'm ready for singles? I need to go to work."

Venus and Lindsey Vonn helped spark comeback

While the Wimbledon reunion has generated considerable attention, Williams explained that the journey back to competition was far from straightforward. She revealed that Venus had been encouraging her to return for some time, even during a period when she was not practising and had little intention of playing again.

Williams pointed specifically to Venus' performances at the US Open as one of the moments that made her reconsider the possibility of returning. At the time, however, she still viewed a comeback as unlikely. "I was really motivated by what Venus was doing at US Open, I thought she played really well. Quarterfinals in doubles (alongside Leylah Fernandez), I thought was really interesting."

"At the time, she was always telling me I should play. I felt a lot of pressure, but I wasn't practicing at all," thew 44-year-old American added. "That wasn't my goal at the time [to come back], but I said if I ever change my mind, it will take six months to get off. I was like 'Sure I'll get on' but that doesn't mean anything. I just had no intention of being here today to be perfectly honest with you."

Another key influence was Lindsey Vonn. Williams said watching the three-time Olympic medallist compete again, alongside other women successfully returning to elite sport, ultimately changed her perspective and convinced her to give tennis another chance.

"Watching Lindsey [Vonn] and everyone do so well, all these women as you mentioned coming back being so gosh darn good, I just felt 'why not? At least for a little bit -- this is not obviously forever. It's not sustainable for me.' I did feel motivated after the Olympics."

Coco Gauff remains a dream doubles partner

Looking ahead, Williams was also asked about the possibility of teaming up with Coco Gauff. The topic emerged after Gauff joked in a separate media appearance that she would happily swap doubles partner Jessica Pegula for the opportunity to play alongside the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

Williams admitted that Gauff had already been among the players she hoped to partner with during her return, though scheduling and Gauff's focus on singles competition have so far prevented it from happening.

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"I would really love to play with Coco [Gauff], she was on my list of people that I wanted to play with. I should have done better research on who was on the charts. She's so focused on singles nowadays, you never really know if [players] are playing doubles. I guess I should have asked her though."

For now, Williams' attention turns to Wimbledon, where she and Venus will once again share a court at the tournament that defined much of their doubles legacy. Whether the reunion proves to be a one-off appearance or part of a broader comeback remains unclear, but Williams made it evident that the decision to return was shaped as much by family as by competitive ambition.

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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