Serena Williams' comeback at Queen's Club has come to an abrupt end after her doubles partner, Victoria Mboko, sustained a knee injury during a singles match on Wednesday evening. Williams, 44, was playing her first tennis match in nearly four years on Tuesday, teaming up with the 19-year-old Mboko for the women's doubles event.
A Promising Start
The pair secured a victory against third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez at the Andy Murray Arena in front of a capacity crowd. Williams, who announced she was 'evolving away' from tennis in 2022 after winning 23 Grand Slam titles over a 27-year career, appeared to be embarking on a fairytale return to the sport.
Injury Halts Progress
Williams and Mboko were scheduled to face Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarter-finals on Thursday evening. However, during her singles match against Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday, Mboko was forced to retire after a nasty fall. Trailing 6-2, 3-4, she left the court in tears. Her withdrawal from the doubles was confirmed on Thursday morning, giving Fernandez and Siegemund a bye to the semi-finals and ending Williams' comeback.
Williams' return was only confirmed last week when she announced her partnership with Mboko at Queen's Club. Reflecting on her decision to return, Williams said: '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.'
Family Support
Her daughters Olympia, 8, and Adira, born in 2023, watched from the stands during Tuesday's match, alongside her husband, tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian. Williams may still participate in Wimbledon, which begins on 29th June, but no decision has been confirmed regarding her involvement.
