Serena Williams has to be praying that her luck will change after losing a WTA doubles match on Tuesday after her earlier loss in what was billed as a grass-court comeback for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.

 The 44-year-old playing alongside Czech Karolina Muchova, lost an opening match on Tuesday on the WTA Berlin grass as opponents Giliaana Olmos and Kiwi Erin Routliffe advanced 6-4, 6-4.

The 91-minute loss was a repeat of last week at Queen’s club, London, when Williams and Canadian Victoria Mboko were eliminated by a side also featuring Routliffe.

The pain of defeat might have been somewhat cushioned by news from Wimbledon that Williams and her elder sister Venus have been granted a wild card in doubles for the Championships starting June 29.

Serena last played a match in 2022 at the US Open and then dropped from the scene as she pursued her millionaire celebrity life while raising two daughters.

She and the teenaged Mboko won their opening match last week but were derailed as the Canadian withdrew a day later with injury.

The comeback dream of Serena Williams was handed a fatal blow with teenaged partner Victoria Mboko pulling up lame after a fall in singles which forced her retirement.

The Canadian went down with a knee injury, which rules her out as the Wimbledon run-up tightens. 

The doubles flop left the 44-year-old out of commission this week in a rain-hit Queen’s club.

The veteran who played her previous last Tour match in 2022, is now only able to look forward to another doubles go next week in Berlin, reportedly alongside Czech Karolina Muchova..

Williams was “retired” during the period in which the London club venue was added to the WTA calendar, 

She and Mboko won their opening doubles match on Tuesday but were unable to progress further due to the circumstances.

 The Williams pairing was to have played Canadian Leylah Fernandez and German Laura Siegemund in the second round with the Canadian/German team reaching the semi-finals, 

Mother of two Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, has hinted all week that she is not considering a run in singles.

“Every tournament I add to my schedule right now feels special, and Berlin is no exception,” she said.

“I’m excited to compete in front of the German fans and continue building momentum throughout the grass-court season.”

Wimbledon doubles also remains a question mark: “It’s just a day at a time. I still have a little time to decide, and they have been great about giving me that space and time to ⁠decide.”

Main photo:- Serena Williams in action in the first round at Queens – by Mark Greenwood/ISF Ltd

A disheartening French Open defeat has left Emma Raducanu’s dream of a Wimbledon seeding a mirage.

The Briton who has barely played through injury and illness over the last few seasons, crashed out in a dismal showing, losing 6-0, 7-6 (4) to Solana Sierra of Argentina.

The Day 1 defeat dropped her ranking to 39th, out of range for one of the 32 seeded spots when play begins in a month.

The former US Open winner is apparently ready to get straight onto the grass, with the BBC reporting that she has signed up for pre-Wimbledon WTA tournaments in Berlin and Eastbourne after Queen’s Club and prior to the Grand Slam.