Serena Williams is set to make her highly anticipated return to the tennis court at next week's HSBC Championships, and she will share the spotlight with one of the sport's rising stars. Victoria Mboko, 19, will partner with Williams in the women's doubles event at Queen's Club, and the Canadian has already expressed her immense admiration for her teammate, sharing a picture of the pair on the grass courts.
Williams' Comeback
The 23-time grand slam singles champion, now 44, confirmed earlier this week that she would be making her comeback at the west London venue, where a women's tournament was hosted for the first time since 1973 last year. Williams has not played competitively since the US Open in 2022, though she has never officially used the word 'retirement', preferring to say she was 'evolving away' from the sport. Announcing her return, Williams said: 'Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter. Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I'm excited to be back competing on one of the sport's most iconic stages.'
Mboko's Rising Star
Mboko, who is a quarter of a century younger than Williams, was voted WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2025. On Thursday, she posted a picture of the duo on the grass at Queen's Club with the caption: 'An honour to share the court with one of the greatest athletes of all time this week. Even more excited to play doubles together! Tennis is pretty special.'
The 19-year-old has already achieved significant success on the WTA Tour, including a WTA 1000 title last year when she came from behind to beat Naomi Osaka on home soil at the Canadian Open. She has also earned back-to-back top-10 wins for the first time in her career this year, defeating World No. 7 Mirra Andreeva and defending Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina en route to the Qatar Open final in February, which she ultimately lost.
Williams, a 23-time grand slam champion, brings unparalleled experience to the partnership. The duo will aim to make a strong impression at the HSBC Championships, which begins next week at Queen's Club.
