Serena Williams, 44, Wins Doubles Match in Successful Comeback at Queen's Tournament
Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Tennis icon Serena Williams, 44, made a successful comeback in doubles at the Queen's tournament.
- She partnered with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, defeating the third-seeded pair.
- Williams, who last played in the 2022 US Open, jokingly attributed her return to having "nothing better to do."
Tennis legend Serena Williams, at 44, has marked a successful return to the WTA Tour, securing a victory in the doubles first round of the Queen's grass-court tournament. Partnering with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, Williams helped secure a 7:6(2), 6:2 win against the tournament's third-seeded duo, Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe.
Williams, whose last competitive match was at the 2022 US Open, appeared in good spirits during her comeback. When asked about her return, the former world number one, who boasts 23 Grand Slam singles titles, humorously stated, "I had nothing better to do, so I returned to the tour."
I had nothing better to do, so I returned to the tour.
Her young partner, Mboko, expressed her honor in playing alongside Williams, calling it a "privilege" and stating their ambition to achieve more than just this single victory. Williams is scheduled to play doubles again next week in Berlin, though her partner for that event, potentially in preparation for Wimbledon, has not yet been announced.
Meanwhile, in s'Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, Anastasia Potapova's opening match was postponed to Wednesday due to rain, highlighting the unpredictable nature of outdoor tournaments.
It is a privilege. We want more than just this victory.
Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.