After Coco Gauff clarified that she never rejected an opportunity to team up with Serena Williams, the tennis icon admitted she was unaware that her fellow American was available for doubles.

Speaking after her defeat in the opening round of the WTA 500 event in Berlin on Tuesday (16), the former world No. 1 explained that she assumed Gauff was focused entirely on her singles campaign.

“I thought Coco was more focused on singles,” Serena said.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion added that she could have handled the situation better by checking the doubles entry list more carefully.

“I should have done more research about who was playing doubles. It would have been great to play with Coco. Maybe I’ll call her next time,” Williams said.

Earlier, Gauff made it clear that she would happily share the court with Serena whenever the opportunity came, saying: “She just has to ask.”

Serena Williams, 44, suffered a defeat in the doubles event in Berlin on Tuesday while partnering with Czech player Karolina Muchova.

The match marked the tennis icon’s second appearance since making her return to competitive action. Last week, Williams featured at the WTA 500 tournament in Queen’s, where she played alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.

Despite the early exit, Williams continues her comeback journey as she looks to regain her rhythm on the court.