Serena Williams marked her long-awaited return to competitive tennis with victory at the Queen’s Club in London, helping secure a straight-sets doubles win nearly four years after stepping away from the sport.
The 44-year-old former world number one teamed up with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko to defeat third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 before a capacity crowd at the Andy Murray Arena.
The triumph represented Williams’ first competitive win since the 2022 US Open, ending a 1,375-day absence from professional tennis.
“It was so fun,” Williams said after the match. “I had so much fun playing with Victoria. She was really able to hold up the team and play big on the big points.”
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, who stepped away from the game in 2022, revealed that the chance to compete at the historic Queen’s Club had been one of the factors behind her return, having never previously had the opportunity to play there because women’s events were not staged during her career.
“I never got to play here, it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic,” she said.
Watched from the stands by her daughters, Olympia and Adira, Williams produced glimpses of the brilliance that established her as one of the sport’s greatest players. Her trademark power and commanding serve thrilled spectators, with one 120mph delivery underlining her enduring quality.
While acknowledging that some rust was inevitable after such a lengthy lay-off, the seven-time Wimbledon champion expressed satisfaction with her performance and remained non-committal about her plans beyond the current tournament.
Asked about the possibility of a return to Wimbledon, Williams said she would take things “a day at a time.”
Williams and Mboko will continue their campaign later this week when they take on Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the second round.
The American’s successful comeback has fuelled speculation over whether one of tennis’ most decorated champions could extend her return beyond doubles competition.
