Serena Williams marked her return to competitive tennis after nearly four years with a straight-sets doubles victory at Queen’s Club alongside Victoria Mboko, while Emma Raducanu advanced to the second round with a dominant win.
Serena Williams marks stunning comeback with doubles win at Queen's Club; Emma Raducanu advances (PC: Tennis channel/X)
Tennis icon Serena Williams enjoyed a winning return to competitive action after nearly four years, teaming up with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko to register a straight-sets victory in the women’s doubles event at the Queen’s Club Championships in London on Tuesday.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, who accepted a wildcard entry for the grass-court tournament, showed flashes of her trademark power and intensity as the duo defeated the third-seeded pair of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6(2), 6-2.
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Despite her lengthy absence from professional competition, Williams looked sharp throughout the contest, combining experience with aggressive shot-making to dominate the latter stages of the match.
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Speaking after the victory, the 44-year-old admitted she was simply enjoying being back on court.
“It was so much fun, it felt so natural playing with Vicky. I guess I’ve got nothing better to do, I’m tired of sitting at home, my kids are out of school this summer so why not?” Williams said.
The American last appeared on the professional circuit nearly four years ago and had not competed since stepping away from the tour.
Williams last lifted a Grand Slam singles trophy at the 2017 Australian Open, famously doing so while in the early stages of pregnancy.
Following her return from maternity leave, she reached four more Grand Slam finals, two at Wimbledon and two at the US Open, but fell short on each occasion of matching Margaret Court’s record of 24 major singles titles.
Her successful return at Queen’s has once again generated excitement among tennis fans ahead of the grass-court season.
Meanwhile, British No. 1 Emma Raducanu advanced to the second round after producing a commanding 6-0, 6-3 victory over Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova.
Playing her first grass-court match of the season, Raducanu stormed through the opening stages, winning the first eight games and barely giving her opponent a chance to settle.
The victory marked her first win since defeating Anastasia Zakharova in the opening round at Indian Wells on March 6 and provided a timely confidence boost ahead of Wimbledon.
The 23-year-old endured a difficult few months after a post-viral illness kept her away from the WTA Tour for more than two months. Upon returning, she suffered first-round exits in Strasbourg and at the French Open.
Backed by a vocal home crowd at Queen’s Club, Raducanu looked composed and confident throughout.
“I’m so happy to have come through that match. To be back here playing at Queen’s, I haven’t won a match in a few months, and there isn’t a place I would rather have done it. I’m really grateful for all the support,” she said.
The former US Open champion hopes the victory will serve as the perfect platform heading into the Wimbledon Championships.
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