Serena Williams wins on doubles return at Queen's at 44 after nearly four years away
Serena Williams marked her return to professional tennis after a nearly four-year absence with a straight-sets doubles win alongside 19-year-old Victoria Mboko at the Queen's Club on Tuesday.
Return after 1,376 days
Serena Williams stepped onto a competitive tennis court for the first time since September 2022, ending a 1,376-day hiatus at age 44. The American legend, owner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, partnered Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in the first round of the Queen's grass-court doubles event. Their opponents were the American-New Zealand duo of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe, whom they beat 7-6(2) 6-2.
Williams had not played a tour-level match since a third-round singles loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open, a day after a doubles defeat alongside sister Venus. Her return was announced the previous Monday, and she arrived in London with no partner until Mboko, ranked No. 9 in singles, accepted the invitation at short notice.
The match
Mboko and Williams started sharply, racing to a 4-2 lead before being pegged back to 4-4. They held firm in the tiebreak, conceding only two points, and then dominated the second set as their opponents' unforced errors mounted. The 25-year age gap was barely visible; the pair exchanged frequent smiles and tactical chats between points.
I was nervous, but I tried not to think about being nervous. I just thought about having fun, which I did today.
Asked to rate her own performance, Williams was blunt.
Oh my God! What do you think? A C-? Taking everything into account, considering grass is probably not the easiest surface, adding four years away: overall, I think it was okay.
Doubles pedigree
Doubles is hardly unfamiliar for the former world No. 1. With Venus she formed one of the most successful partnerships in history, winning 14 of her 23 career doubles titles at Grand Slams. She also won mixed doubles majors at Wimbledon and the US Open with Max Mirnyi, making her the only player, male or female, to sweep all four Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles.
Against Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe, Williams showed the powerful serve and instinctive court sense that defined her prime, delighting the crowd with a spectacular two-handed backhand retrieval on a point that appeared lost.
- Williams announces her return, scheduled for Queen's doubles
- Partners Victoria Mboko for a first-round win 7-6(2), 6-2
What comes next
Williams confirmed she will play the Berlin grass event next week, her second tournament of this comeback, but she remains undecided on singles.
For now, it's no. I feel I probably need to train a little more if I want to play singles. We'll see if I can do it. And if I can't, then that's not my path.
On a possible Wimbledon doubles entry, she said she was taking it day by day and praised organisers for giving her time to decide. Mboko, for her part, called the experience an honour and stressed they are already looking forward.
I had a lot of fun, but the road continues.
