Serena Williams will continue her comeback with a doubles appearance alongside Karolina Muchova at the Berlin Open.
The 44-year-old recently returned to tennis at Queen’s, where she played doubles with Victoria Mboko.
Much to the delight of the crowd, Williams and Mboko won their opening match, but were forced to withdraw from the tournament the following day when the Canadian suffered an injury.
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Williams will play the second match of her comeback in Berlin alongside Muchova, who has now delivered her verdict on the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Karolina Muchova is ‘very excited’ to play doubles with Serena Williams in Berlin
During a pre-tournament press conference, Muchova shared whether the ‘rumours’ of her playing doubles with Williams were true.
“I don’t think it’s a rumour; we are going to play doubles,” said Muchova.
“I’m pretty excited about it.
“I mean, it doesn’t happen every day that such an athlete, not only in tennis, but overall in sport, such an amazing athlete, asks you to play doubles alongside her.
“So, obviously I’m very excited about it; I hope it’s going to be fun.
“Maybe we’ll practice tomorrow? I don’t know.”
Muchova hasn’t played doubles since the Brisbane International in January, where she and Priscilla Hon lost in the quarter-finals.
The 29-year-old is a singles player by trade, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play with a true legend of the sport.
Unlike Williams, Muchova will also play singles in Berlin, where she has been drawn against a qualifier in round one.
Karolina Muchova’s Berlin Open draw
| Round | Highest-ranked potential opponent | Potential seeded opponents |
| 1R | (Qualifier) | – |
| 2R | Madison Keys (26) | – |
| QF | Jessica Pegula (4) | [3] Jessica Pegula |
| SF | Aryna Sabalenka (1) | [1] Aryna Sabalenka, [5] Coco Gauff |
| F | Elena Rybakina (2) | [2] Elena Rybakina, [4] Amanda Anisimova, [6] Elina Svitolina, [8] Linda Noskova |
The seventh seed could meet Madison Keys in the second round and Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.
Players have often been criticised for withdrawing from doubles when they make deep runs in singles, although it’s unlikely Muchova would make such a decision with Williams as her partner.
The world number 10 has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Berlin, and she will want to make the most of it.
Muchova and Williams will play Erin Routliffe and Giuliana Olmos in the first round of the doubles tournament.
What happened when Serena Williams played Karolina Muchova?
Williams and Muchova have met once before, in the third round of the 2019 US Open.
The American made light work of her future doubles partner, winning in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Williams went on to reach the final in New York, where she lost to Canada’s Bianca Andreescu.
Muchova reached her first Grand Slam final four years later, at the French Open, but came up short, losing to Iga Swiatek in three sets.
Perhaps the experience of playing doubles with Williams in Berlin will give Muchova the edge she needs at the major tournaments.
At 29, Muchova would become one of the oldest first-time champions if she were to lift a Grand Slam title, but you wouldn’t put it past her.
The Czech has reached one final, three semi-finals, and three quarter-finals throughout her career.
Karolina Muchova’s best Grand Slam results
- 2023 French Open – Lost in F to Iga Swiatek (2-6, 7-5, 4-6)
- 2024 US Open – Lost in SF to Jessica Pegula (6-1, 4-6, 2-6)
- 2023 US Open – Lost in SF to Coco Gauff (4-6, 5-7)
- 2021 Australian Open – Lost in SF to Jennifer Brady (4-6, 6-3, 4-6)
- 2025 US Open – Lost in QF to Naomi Osaka (4-6, 6-7)
- 2021 Wimbledon – Lost in QF to Angelique Kerber (2-6, 3-6)
- 2019 Wimbledon – Lost in QF to Elina Svitolina (5-7, 4-6)
When she’s healthy and in form, Muchova is one of the most dangerous players in the women’s game.
She proved that earlier this year when she won her maiden WTA 1000 title, lifting the trophy in Qatar.
Muchova will be looking to make deep runs at Wimbledon and the US Open later this year, but will first focus on the Berlin Open.
The 2026 Berlin Open begins on Monday, June 15.
