Serena Williams' Queen's Club comeback ends after partner Victoria Mboko's injury

Serena Williams, 44, made her first competitive appearance since the 2022 US Open at the HSBC Championships (Queen’s Club) in London, partnering 19‑year‑old Canadian Victoria Mboko in the women's doubles. The pair won their opening match 7‑6(2), 6‑2 over Nicole Melichar‑Martinez and Erin Routliffe.

Mboko then withdrew from her singles round‑of‑16 against Karolina Pliskova after slipping and suffering a left‑knee injury. The injury forced her to retire from the doubles draw as well, cancelling their quarter‑final against Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund. Williams’ brief return was therefore cut short.

Williams said on Instagram, “You’re an incredible talent, and you’ll be back out there in no time,” and said she will next compete in the Berlin Open doubles, with a possible partnership with Karolina Muchova. She is also awaiting a decision from Wimbledon’s wildcard committee, which chief Sally Bolton described as generating “fantastic buzz” for the sport.