Ahead of Wimbledon return, Serena Williams loses doubles match with Muchova at Berlin Open

BERLIN (AP) — Serena Williams’ comeback hit a bump Tuesday with a loss in her opening-round doubles match at the Berlin Open.

Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe defeated Williams and her partner Karolina Muchova 6-4, 6-4 to end Williams’ involvement in the WTA 500 grass-court tournament at the first stage.

It didn’t dim the love Williams was shown from the appreciative fans on what was her second appearance after a win at Queen’s Club last week in London. That had been Williams’ first professional match since the 2022 U.S. Open. But her participation at Queen's Club was cut short when partner Victoria Mboko injured her knee in a singles match.

The 44-year-old Williams was welcomed by a huge roar and applause to center court at the Steffi Graf Stadion, which quickly filled up as fans snacking and drinking outside realized the main attraction was about to start.

Earlier Tuesday, Wimbledon organizers announced that Williams and her older sider Venus, who turns 46 on Wednesday, were being given a doubles wild card invitation for the tournament that starts in less than two weeks.

“Welcome back Serena!” one fan in Berlin shouted as Williams showed flashes of her tenacity with some ferocious returns.

“Serena, we love you in Berlin!” another fan shouted to cheers in the second set.

But Olmos and Routliffe broke Muchova’s serve for 3-2 in the second set, and Routliffe set up the match point with an ace.

“Honestly, I felt pretty good out there,” Williams said in her post-match news conference. “I felt actually more nimble and more sturdy and quicker than the first match in Queens'. Yeah, overall, I feel pretty good. Just physically and quickness, which I think you need a lot of quickness on grass.”

Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles — including seven at Wimbledon — before stepping away from the game, saying at the time she was “evolving” away from tennis rather than “retiring.”

She has also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including six at Wimbledon — all with her sister Venus.

Williams still hasn't decided if she'll play singles again at the tournament.

“Oh my gosh, there are some left?” she replied when she was told there was still a singles wild card spot for Wimbledon. But then she mused about her readiness for it.

“Do you think I’m ready for singles?” she asked a reporter and then turned to Muchova to ask what she thought.

“I think I would be interested in it," the Czech player responded.

“That’s the question of the hour, right?” Williams said of playing singles at Wimbledon. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I wonder why there’s – I don’t know.”

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Serena Williams of the U.S. returns the ball as she and Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova play during their round of 16 doubles match against New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Mexico's Giuliana Olmo during the WTA 500 Berlin Open tennis tournament at Steffi Graf Stadium, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Serena Williams of the U.S., right, reacts as she and Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova play during their round of 16 doubles match against New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Mexico's Giuliana Olmo during the WTA 500 Berlin Open tennis tournament at Steffi Graf Stadium, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts as she and Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova play during their round of 16 doubles match against New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Mexico's Giuliana Olmo during the WTA 500 Berlin Open tennis tournament at Steffi Graf Stadium, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Serena Williams of the U.S. returns the ball as she and Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova play during their round of 16 doubles match against New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Mexico's Giuliana Olmo during the WTA 500 Berlin Open tennis tournament at Steffi Graf Stadium, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Serena Williams of the U.S. tosses the ball in the air to serve as she and Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova play during their round of 16 doubles match against New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Mexico's Giuliana Olmo during the WTA 500 Berlin Open tennis tournament at Steffi Graf Stadium, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Serena Williams, left, and Karolina Muchova sit on the bench during their first round women doubles tennis match against Routliffe and Olmos, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday June 16, 2026. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Serena Williams, left, and Karolina Muchova speak during their first round women doubles tennis match against Routliffe and Olmos, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday June 16, 2026. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Serena Williams plays a backhand next to Karolina Muchova, not pictured, during first round women doubles tennis match against Routliffe and Olmos, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday June 16, 2026. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Serena Williams plays a forehand next to Karolina Muchova, not pictured, during first round women doubles tennis match against Routliffe and Olmos, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday June 16, 2026. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — More rain and thunderstorms were possible Monday at the Grand Canyon following a major flash flood that left one person dead and about 15 others missing or unaccounted for, with scores of visitors evacuated and the only water pipeline for tourists and residents destroyed.

Emergency water restrictions that began Monday prevented tourists from staying overnight at lodges and hotels within the park. Year-round residents were asked to conserve water.

A flood watch was in effect. Visiting the Grand Canyon — a crown jewel of the national park system — can be particularly dangerous in the summer because of the risk of flash flooding that accompanies the monsoon, or rainy season. Clear days can give way quickly to thunderstorms and downpours.

“With deep monsoonal moisture in place and already saturated soils in some locations, an elevated risk of flash flooding will be in place through Monday,” the National Weather Service said early Monday.

The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, the National Park Service said without providing additional details.

The flooding Saturday in Bright Angel Creek, which flows into the river, led to more than 60 people being airlifted from the depths of the canyon. The park service asked anyone with details about hikers or campers still unaccounted for to get in touch. The Arizona Department of Public Safety helped with additional evacuations Sunday.

“These measures are crucial for ensuring the safety and sustainability of water resources,” the park said in a statement.

Parth Desai was hiking through a narrow passage in Bright Angel Canyon with fellow physicians and a park ranger when heavy rain started falling Saturday.

“We saw the creek flood, waterfalls coming up out of nowhere, boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere,” he said.

Later, as they made their way toward Phantom Ranch, a colleague shouted “Up, Up, Up, Up!” as a 4-foot (1-meter) debris wall headed toward them and they ran up into a patch of cacti, he said. They were rescued by helicopter late Saturday after making it to the Phantom Ranch area, he said.

Torrents of water wiped out footbridges over the creek and altered the landscape, widening the creek bed and extending an existing river rapid or creating a new one. The flood was a major blow to an enduring effort to modernize the pipeline that serves 6 million visitors a year and roughly 1,600 residents of Grand Canyon Village.

“Heaven help us if the whole thing down there at the bottom has to be reconstructed,” said Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University. “Where are they going to get the money?”

Halting overnight stays at the park because of a lack of water is rare, although the pipeline frequently has failed over the years. While the Grand Canyon has large storage tanks for potable water on the South Rim, they won’t be refilled while the pipeline is out of service.

A $208 million rehabilitation of the pipeline and upgrades to the associated water delivery system started in 2023, with the park service calling it a crucial investment to ensure the park can meet the needs of residents and visitors. The project was expected to be completed next year.

Stengle reported from Dallas. Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles also contributed.

This photo shows Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, after it was hit by heavy flooding a day earlier. (Craig Sanderson via AP)

This photo shows Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, after it was hit by heavy flooding a day earlier. (Craig Sanderson via AP)

Bright Angel Creek near the Phantom Ranger Station in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, is seen after flash flooding from storms, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (Parth Desai via AP)