WTA roundup: Serena Williams loses first-round doubles match in Berlin

Field Level Media|published: Tue 16th June, 20:47 2026

Serena Williams during her doubles match with Canada's Victoria Mboko at the Queen's Club in London on June 6, 2026.

Unseeded Serena Williams and Czechia's Karolina Muchova came up short in their opening-round doubles match on Tuesday in the WTA 500 Berlin Tennis Open.

Williams, playing in her second tournament since announcing her comeback, and Muchova fell 6-4, 6-4 to New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Mexico's Giuliana Olmos.

Muchova fared better in singles play as the No. 7 seed breezed past China's Shuai Zhang 6-1, 6-3. Sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine led Russia's Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 4-1 when Kalinskaya retired. Czech No. 8 seed Linda Noskova handled Mexico's Renata Zarazua 6-1, 6-4.

Madison Keys, France's Diane Parry, Spain's Paula Badosa, Czechia's Katerina Siniakova and Germany's Eva Lys also claimed first-round wins in straight sets.

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Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez knocked out No. 2 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada with a 6-4, 7-6 (1) triumph in the first round in the United Kingdom. Sonmez had to win two qualifying matches just to get into the tournament.

Two other seeded players suffered first-round defeats. No. 8 McCartney Kessler dropped a 6-3, 6-3 decision to fellow American Katie Volynets while No. 11 Sara Bejlek fell 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2 to Karolina Pliskova in an all-Czech clash.

No. 5 seed Ann Li made it through the Round of 32 with a 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 verdict over Australia's Kimberly Birrell. Caty McNally, Great Britain's Hannah Klugman and Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska registered straight-set wins while Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic needed three sets to take down Sofia Kenin.

--Field Level Media