Serena Williams returns to Tennis, teams up with teen star Victoria Mboko
London, June 5
Tennis legend Serena Williams is set to partner 19-year-old Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko in the doubles draw at the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club in London, the pair announced on Thursday.
The pair, separated by a 25-year age gap, will take to the grass courts of the historic West Kensington venue from 8-14 June, as per Olympics.com.
"An honour to share the court with one of the greatest athletes of all time this week. Even more excited to play doubles together! Tennis is pretty special," the teenager wrote on social media.
Williams has not played on the professional circuit since her defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic at the US Open in 2022. At the time, she described her decision as "evolving away" from tennis rather than formally retiring.
The 23-time Grand Slam women's champion has been handed a wild-card entry in the women's doubles draw at Queen's and is expected to team up with Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko.
Williams last won a Grand Slam singles title at the 2017 Australian Open while she was in the early stages of pregnancy. Since then, she reached four more Grand Slam finals but fell short of equalling Margaret Court's record of 24 major singles titles.
She reached four more finals on her return from maternity leave, two at Wimbledon and two at the US Open, but was beaten in straight sets on each occasion.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Love this! Serena's legacy is unmatched. The 25-year age gap is just a number—she has the experience and Mboko has the fire. 🎾🔥 But honestly, I hope she doesn't push herself too hard. She's already achieved so much, it's okay to just enjoy the game now.
Great move by Serena to mentor a young player. But let's be real—she hasn't won a Grand Slam since 2017 and lost four finals since. Is this a serious return or just a nostalgic farewell tour? 🤔 Either way, good for tennis fans in London. We'll watch!
So happy to see Serena back! 🙏 She's the reason I started playing tennis in Mumbai. Even if she's "evolving away," seeing her on grass again is a treat. Mboko is lucky—learning from THE greatest. Hope they have a blast at Queen's Club!
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