Serena Williams’s much-anticipated return to competitive tennis has been cut short following an injury to her partner, Victoria Mboko. The young player was forced to withdraw from the Queen’s Club tournament after suffering a knee injury when she slipped on the grass during her singles match on Wednesday.
In her first tournament since retiring, the 44-year-old Williams made an impressive comeback on Tuesday, teaming up with Mboko to defeat third seeds Nicole Melichar Martinez and Erin Routliffe with a score of 7-6(2), 6-2. The duo was set to face Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund on Thursday.
Mboko, seeded third at Queen’s Club, played her opening singles match a day later after receiving a first-round bye. During this match, she had secured a break point in the second set after losing the first set against former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova. However, she then suffered a severe fall, slipping on the grass while trying to regain her footing, immediately clutching her left knee and retiring from the match.
The grass courts at Queen’s Club are renowned for their high quality, but the slippery conditions can pose risks, especially in the tournament’s early days. Previous editions have seen male players experience similar slips and injuries on the same surface.
Looking ahead, Williams is set to travel to Berlin, where she has received a wildcard for doubles. Additionally, she is expected to be among the wildcard entries for Wimbledon, which will be announced next week.
Meanwhile, the future remains uncertain for one of the tour’s promising young talents, as Mboko faces the challenges of her injury recovery.
