LONDON/WASHINGTON, June 10, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
There’s been plenty of anticipation leading up to the return of Serena Williams to pro tennis. Ever since she announced her latest comeback to the WTA Tour a week ago, there’s been plenty of buzz about it – especially with the Wimbledon Championships less than a month away.
“Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages,” Williams said in a recent statement announcing her appearance at the prestigious Queen’s Club in southwest London.
The moment has arrived ✨@serenawilliams steps back on court to play doubles with Victoria Mboko!#HSBCChampionships pic.twitter.com/Ua3fzuMgI3
— wta (@WTA) June 9, 2026
Finally, Tuesday afternoon at the WTA 500 HSBC Championships – London on Andy Murray Arena, the 44-year-old queen of women’s tennis walked out on court with her 19-year-old doubles partner, Victoria Mboko of Canada, to great fanfare and applause from the 9,000 fans who filled-up the bespoke grass-court main stadium on the Queen’s Club grounds. After all, Serena would be playing her first pro tennis match in 1,375 days – and a world-wide TV audience tuned in to witness it, too.
As it happened, an hour and 30 minutes after their first-round doubles match commenced, Williams and Mboko celebrated their 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory over the more-established and third-seeded team of Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand to advance to the quarterfinal round against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund of Germany.
What it means 💚
A dub in @serenawilliams first match back on tour!#HSBCChampionships pic.twitter.com/FR67fXLVN1
— wta (@WTA) June 9, 2026
There was plenty of excitement generated by the multi-generational duo Williams and Mboko. Together, they served two aces, won 78 percent (36 of 46) of their first-serve points, converted three of five break-point opportunities and outpointed their opponents 64-56. The first time Serena stood at the baseline to serve, in the second game of the match, there was a kind of giddiness to it all. Some early rustiness soon gave way to Williams showing everyone she’s still got game.
Later, as Williams served for the match, she won it with a pair of solid aces that was followed by an unreturned serve.
“I had so much fun playing with Vicky. She was really able to hold up the team and play big on the big points, and I could really rely on her,” Williams, who wore a coordinated lilac-pink and white Nike ensemble with matching pink trainers, said during her on-court interview.
“It just felt so natural playing with her, so it was actually really fun.”
Mboko added: “It’s such a privilege to play beside you. … We really did that out there.”
This duo! 💚@serenawilliams and Vicky Mboko are into the quarterfinals at Queen’s!#HSBCChampionships pic.twitter.com/VDNp1ujlHA
— wta (@WTA) June 9, 2026
Later, during their post-match news conference, Williams, a 23-time major singles champion and 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion, all won with her older sister Venus, was asked if there were any nervous feelings or doubts about what her comeback on the WTA Tour – and Tuesday’s match in particular – would be like. She said: “I think I was nervous, but I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t really think about being nervous.
“I just thought about having fun, which I didn’t today. I just thought about – that’s it. So, I didn’t really have time. I got nervous right before the match, like, maybe, 30 minutes before, and then I just let it go.”
What did Mboko think about teaming with arguably the greatest women’s player of all time? “I thought she was moving great,” she said. “I mean, there were moments in the match where I think there was that one shot you hit, remember, you were on the run, on the back, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, she’s got it!’
“On my perspective, I feel like it’s all great. It was a lot of fun, and yeah, it was amazing.”
— wta (@WTA) June 9, 2026
When a reporter asked Williams what kind of a report card on how she felt her game was in her first time back in a competitive match since her third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic four years ago at the 2022 US Open, she replied: “My God, I think I would give myself – what do you think? A C-minus?”
Mboko interjected on Serena’s behalf, saying: “I mean, it’s funny, because there were moments in the match where we were, ‘Oh, this isn’t going great or kind of very self-critical,’ but I understand.
“It feels like it was far from our level a little bit, but, you, know, I think it’s great knowing that you have so much room for improvement. You know and have the motivation to get better.
“Yeah, there were moments where it was tough, but, you know, like, I think that’s a part of the sport and with the adrenaline, and everything. I mean, overall, I’d say it was pretty good.”
Serena added: “With all the elements, considering coming back on grass is probably not the easiest surface. … Overall, I think it was decent.”
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Regardless of how her latest comeback fares, there’s plenty that Williams can pass along to a younger generation of tennis players like Mboko as well as Alexandra Eala of the Philippines and British favorite Emma Raducanu. Both Eala, 21, and Raducanu, 23, won their respective singles matches earlier in the day. And Williams admits she enjoys watching the new, young players.
“Yeah, I think it’s so many new faces,” she said. “You know, a lot of the younger players I actually watch. I love watching their games, and I think everyone has just gotten so good and so talented. And they’re so young.
“It really feels good to be a part of a sport that you can see so much growth in.”
It was an honor to watch you play again👑#HSBCChampionships pic.twitter.com/UVkbrwQ843
— wta (@WTA) June 9, 2026
And what does Mboko think of playing with a living legend like Serena?
“I mean, of course even knowing I could play with Serena with me, that was very – I’m so grateful, first of all,” she said. “I don’t play that much doubles, but I think sharing the court, I think I can learn a lot, even though we’re still competing. I just, if anything, I just had so much fun today. I feel like we complemented each other on the court very well.
“I just really liked our attitude on court. We had the same mentality. That’s what I always look for in a partner. I just was enjoying myself.”
One of the reasons Williams gave for making her comeback was that so her two daughters, Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2, could see her play. They sat in Serena’s box along with her husband, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian. She was asked to describe what their impression of watching their mother play.
“Adira wanted to go to the toy store, and Olympia wanted to know what was for dinner,” Serena said, smiling.
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While Williams is scheduled to play next week in the WTA 500 Berlin Tennis Open in Germany where, according to The Times of London, she will team with Karolina Muchova of Czechia, she said she’s undecided about playing at the Wimbledon Championships, which begin June 29. It’s a major she’s won seven times in singles and six times in doubles.
“Yeah, like I said the other day, it’s just a day at a time,” Williams declared. “I still have a little time to decide, and they have been great about giving me that space and time to decide.”
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Now that the first match in her latest comeback in in the books, hearing the British crowd again hailing her as the queen of tennis at Queen’s Club, one wonders if there will always be a big fanfare every time Williams steps foot on a tennis court – or will she ever be able to just go out and play tennis? It’s a question worth pondering and it’s one which Serena addressed at the end of her news conference.
“I mean, for me it will be. It’s not my responsibility to know what it is for everyone else, and I think that’s the beauty of being an athlete and understanding the importance of honing in and, you know, concentrating,” Williams admitted.
“I feel like once you have been there and you understand that, it doesn’t matter what’s going on in the outside world, as long as you know what you’re there for, and that really helps and makes a huge difference.”
Serena’s comeback to pro tennis is not going to be – and should not be – measured in wins and losses. Instead, it’s about proving that greatness doesn’t fade away just because life changes. A new chapter for Serena Williams has begun this week in London. Let’s all embrace it.
