Tennis legend Serena Williams marked her long-awaited return to professional tennis with a straight-sets victory in the doubles event at the Queen’s Club Championships in London.
Playing her first professional match since the 2022 US Open, the 44-year-old American teamed up with rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko to defeat third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 in the opening round of the grass-court tournament.
Williams, who surprised the tennis world last week by announcing her return to competition, displayed flashes of the power and precision that defined her illustrious career. She fired serves reaching 120 mph and sealed the victory in style with two aces and a service winner.
“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. I could rely on her. We have never played together, but it felt so natural.”
The former world number one admitted she experienced some nerves before stepping onto the court.
“I got nervous maybe 30 minutes before, and then I just let it go. I didn’t really think about being nervous; I thought about having fun, which I did,” she said.
Despite the convincing victory, Williams offered a modest assessment of her performance.
“Oh my God! What do you think? A C-minus?” she joked. “Considering coming back on grass after four years, overall I think it was decent.”
Her teenage partner, Mboko, was full of praise for the American icon.
“I thought she was moving great,” Mboko said. “There was that one shot on the run on the backhand and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s got it.’”
The atmosphere at the historic Queen’s Club reflected the significance of the occasion. Williams received a standing ovation as she entered the Andy Murray Arena, drawing the loudest reception of the day from a packed crowd.
The appearance was Williams’ first at the iconic venue, which reintroduced a women’s tournament in 2025 after an absence of more than five decades.
Asked what motivated her return, Williams responded with characteristic humour.
“I had nothing better to do. I got tired of sitting at home,” she said. “My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?”
Williams also revealed that her daughters, Olympia and Adira, were more interested in everyday family matters than her successful comeback.
“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 as the former world number one continues a comeback that has already become one of the biggest stories in tennis.
