Serena Williams marked her return to professional tennis with a straight-sets victory at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in London.
Playing her first competitive match since the 2022 US Open, Williams teamed up with Canada’s Victoria Mboko to defeat third seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6(2), 6-2 and reach the quarter-finals.
The match was Williams’ first appearance in 1,376 days. The 44-year-old returned in doubles rather than singles and showed few signs of rust during the one-hour, 22-minute contest.
Williams and Mboko came through a tight opening set before improving on their performance in the second, winning six of the final eight games.
Williams’ serve remained one of the biggest factors in the match. She produced several service winners and regularly put the returning pair under pressure, while her forehand helped the duo win key points during the first-set tiebreak.
Mboko also played her part, covering the court well and complementing Williams’ experience with her speed and shot-making.
Last December, it was revealed that Williams had re-entered the testing pool, a necessary step for any player who wants to compete at a professional event.
The American and her team denied that she was coming out of “retirement”. But this did not stop people from looking forward to her next court appearance.
Tuesday’s partnership brought together two players at very different stages of their careers.
Williams owns 23 Grand Slam singles titles and 39 major titles overall, while the 19-year-old Mboko is one of Canada’s most highly rated young prospects.
Despite never having played together competitively, the pair looked comfortable throughout the match.
Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe stayed with them during the opening set and created opportunities on return, but Williams and Mboko raised their level in the tiebreak and carried that form into the second set. They secured the decisive break before pulling away to complete the victory.
The result sends Williams and Mboko into the quarter-finals and gives the former world number one a winning start to her comeback.
Although, it’s unclear at this point how long she wants to be active for or what her next event might be.
