Serena Williams made a winning return to competitive tennis after four years away, teaming up with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko to claim a first-round doubles victory at the Queen’s Club in west London on Tuesday.
The 44-year-old American, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, rolled back the years in a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 win over third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez at the grass-court tournament. Playing in front of a capacity crowd in the Andy Murray Arena, Williams showcased her trademark power, including a thunderous serve and heavy ground-strokes, with her two daughters Olympia and Adira and husband Alexis Ohanian among those watching.
The result matters because Williams’ surprise decision to compete again has immediately reignited debate about what her comeback could become. After appearing to end her career in 2022—when she said she was “evolving away” from tennis—her return to match play for the first time since a loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open has intensified questions about whether she might also consider singles later this month at Wimbledon.
What happened in Serena Williams’ first match back
Williams’ shock announcement on Monday that she would play doubles at Queen’s Club stunned the sporting world and prompted immediate scrutiny: could one of the sport’s all-time greats still approach her previous level, or would she look like a shadow of her former self?
There were inevitable signs of rust after 1,375 days away from competition. The first point of her return ended with Mboko sending a volley out before Williams even touched the ball. Williams’ first touch came on the next point, when she put a volley into the net.
But she quickly settled, producing the first winner of her comeback with a volley that lifted the crowd. From there, her competitive edge was evident. Her ground-strokes had enough accuracy to keep her in rallies, and she punctuated key moments with familiar intensity—celebrating with a clenched fist after a ferocious smash helped secure a break for a 4-1 lead.
Williams arrived on court in a white top, pink skirt and matching shoes to cheers and a standing ovation. Fans held up signs welcoming her back, while former Olympic skiing gold medallist Lindsey Vonn watched from the stands. Williams offered only a brief wave, appearing focused on the task rather than the occasion.
In the first set, Williams’ serve began to resemble the weapon that defined her career. She struck an unreturnable delivery that reached 120mph late in the set, and her reaction after the pair surged through the tie-break—roaring “lets go”—captured the emotion of a return four years in the making.
Mboko, 19, played a major role in the second set, driving the partnership forward with a stream of winners that earned admiring fist-bumps from Williams. Still, it was fitting that Williams’ “lethal serve” helped seal the victory, underlining that her biggest strengths can still surface under pressure.
Williams has said the chance to play in front of her children was a key motivation for her comeback, and she delivered a moment to match the occasion. After hitting a superb backhand winner from an acute angle off the court, she broke into a broad grin and spread her arms in a gesture that suggested she was surprising even herself.
What this could mean for Wimbledon and the next steps
Williams’ combative performance will intensify speculation about whether her return could extend beyond doubles. Wimbledon begins later in June, and Williams is a seven-time singles champion at the All England Club, making the prospect of her competing there in some capacity especially compelling if her run at Queen’s continues.
At the same time, Williams has played down suggestions she will return to singles. The article notes she has not won a Grand Slam singles title since the 2017 Australian Open, and that she has framed her motivation now as being about “the journey, rather than the destination.”
In the immediate term, Williams is set to take part in doubles at the Berlin Open from June 15-21. For now, her Queen’s Club win provides a clear headline: 31 years after her first professional match, Serena Williams has started another chapter with a victory—and the tennis world will be watching what comes next.