Serena Williams Enjoys Winning Return as Tennis Legend Advances at Queen’s Club

LONDON, England — Tennis great Serena Williams said she had “so much fun” after making a winning return to competitive tennis, partnering Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko to a straight-sets victory in the doubles competition at the Queen’s Club Championships on Tuesday.

Williams, competing in her first professional match since the 2022 US Open, teamed up with the 19-year-old Mboko to defeat third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 in the opening round of the WTA 500 grass-court tournament.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion stunned the tennis world last week when she announced her return to competition after nearly four years away from the sport.

Despite admitting to pre-match nerves, the 44-year-old said she thoroughly enjoyed being back on court.

“I got nervous maybe 30 minutes before, and then I just let it go,” Williams said after the match.

“I didn’t really think about being nervous. I thought about having fun, which I did.

“It was so fun. I had so much fun playing with Victoria.

“I never got to play here before; it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic.”

Williams Eyes More Success After Impressive Return

Questions had been raised over Williams’ decision to return to competitive tennis after nearly four years away, but the American quickly reminded fans of her enduring quality with powerful serves and trademark groundstrokes that thrilled a capacity crowd in west London.

Even so, Williams gave herself a modest assessment after recording her first victory since defeating Anett Kontaveit at the 2022 US Open.

“Oh my God! What do you think? A C minus?” she joked when asked to rate her performance.

“Considering coming back on grass, which is probably not the easiest surface, and after four years away, overall I think it was decent.”

Williams revealed earlier that her comeback was partly inspired by a desire to play in front of her daughters, Olympia and Adira, who were in attendance alongside her husband, Alexis Ohanian.

However, she joked that her children were more focused on other matters than her successful return.

“Adira wanted to go to the toy store, and Olympia wanted to know what was for dinner,” she said.

Williams and Mboko will next face Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarter-finals.

The American is also scheduled to compete in doubles at the Berlin Open next week, while speculation continues over a possible appearance at The Championships, Wimbledon, where she won seven singles titles during her illustrious career.

When asked about potentially competing in the Wimbledon doubles event, Williams remained noncommittal.

“Like I said the other day, it’s just a day at a time,” she said.

“I still have a little time to decide, and they’ve been great about giving me that space and time to decide.”

For Mboko, who has described Williams as her idol, sharing the court with one of tennis’ greatest players was a memorable experience.

“Of course, even knowing I could play with Serena, I’m so grateful,” the Canadian said.

“I don’t play that much doubles, but sharing the court with her, I think I can learn a lot. I just had so much fun today.”

The teenager also expressed confidence that Williams can quickly rediscover her peak form.

“I thought she was doing great. I understand it felt far from her level, but it’s great to have that much room for improvement and still be motivated to get better,” Mboko said.

“There was one shot where I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s got it.’”

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A Lagos-based journalist with a passion for disseminating factual information and a deep appreciation for good music, good food, movies, and beautiful cars. He hopes to travel the world someday, documenting its beauty and diverse cultures through his storytelling.