Serena Williams is back and marked her return to tennis with a victory.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion played her first competitive match in almost four years on Tuesday, June 9, partnering 19-year-old Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in a doubles match at the Queen’s Club Championship in London.
The pair defeated Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2, with Williams looking right at home on the grass court.
The crowd gave her a raucous reception when she emerged in a light pink Nike warm-up jacket and tennis dress.
Her husband Alexis Ohanian and their two daughters, Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2, were in the stands to watch. So was Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, a close friend of Williams who came out of retirement in her forties.
Williams, 44, was anything but rusty.
At one point he served up a 113 mph ace and attacked the net with strong volleys for more than an hour of the match, seeming to enjoy every moment.
The Queen’s Club event, which traditionally serves as a warm-up for Wimbledon, is the first of at least two scheduled appearances.
Williams has also confirmed that she will play doubles at the Berlin Tennis Open starting June 15, although her partner for that tournament has yet to be announced.
It is still an open question whether it will go further.
At a press conference on Sunday, June 7, Williams said he had not ruled out singles matches.
“I can’t say no right now,” he told reporters.
“I feel like I probably need to train a little bit more if I want to play singles, and we’ll see if I get there, and if not… that’s not my journey right now.”
However, she was equally clear that pressure and expectations are not what is driving her comeback.
“I don’t need to win,” he said.
“I’ve won more than most people in their entire life, so it’s not that important to me, and it’s important that I keep remembering it, because I have nothing to prove.”
Williams stepped away from professional tennis after the US Open in September 2022, describing her departure at the time as an evolution rather than a retirement.
In the years since, she’s had another daughter, played new sports, and embarked on a personal health journey.
Tuesday’s game suggested that, no matter what, the competitive instinct is largely intact.
