Serena Williams made a winning return to professional tennis at the Queen’s Championships.
Playing alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, she defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6(7-2), 6-2 in the doubles event.
The opening set was a closely fought contest, with neither team able to secure a break of serve, forcing a tiebreak. Williams and Mboko raised their level when it mattered most, winning the tiebreak 7-2 to claim the first set 7-6.
The momentum shifted firmly in their favor in the second set as they played more aggressively from the baseline and at the net, breaking their opponents’ serve and cruising to a 6-2 win.
Williams’ powerful groundstrokes and experience combined perfectly with Mboko’s speed and energy, helping the pair secure a memorable victory.
When asked how it felt to be back on court for her first match in four years, Serena Williams kept it simple, saying, “It was so fun”.
She added, “I had nothing better to do, I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?
“I never got to play here, it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic.”
Williams and Mboko will return to the court on Thursday as they continue their Queen’s Championships doubles campaign. The pair will take on Laura Siegemund and Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals, with the match marking the first-ever doubles meeting between the two teams.
