By Anietie anii-bassey
Serena Williams marked her long-awaited return to professional tennis with an impressive doubles victory at Queen’s Club on Tuesday, proving that after nearly four years away from competition, one of the greatest players in the sport’s history still possesses the power, determination and competitive spirit that defined her legendary career.
The 44-year-old American made her first professional appearance since the 2022 U.S. Open, partnering with 19-year-old Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko in the opening round of the prestigious grass-court tournament in London.
Despite the lengthy absence from competitive tennis, Williams delivered flashes of the dominant form that earned her 23 Grand Slam singles titles, producing booming serves that reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour and striking several trademark winners as the pair defeated third-seeded doubles specialists Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6 (2), 6-2.
The victory secured Williams and Mboko a place in the quarterfinals, where they are scheduled to face the team of Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund.
Williams capped off the match in memorable fashion by serving out the contest with two consecutive aces before finishing with an unreturnable service winner, drawing loud applause from the packed crowd and signaling that her formidable serve remains one of the most dangerous weapons in tennis.
Speaking during her on-court interview after the victory, Williams expressed delight at returning to competition and praised her young doubles partner.
“It was so fun. I had so much fun playing with Victoria,” she said. “We’ve never played together but it just felt so natural playing with her.”
Although pleased with the result, Williams remained characteristically self-critical when evaluating her own performance during her post-match press conference.
When asked to assign herself a grade, she jokingly responded with “a C-minus,” before acknowledging the challenges of returning to elite competition after such a long absence.
She noted that grass courts are among the most difficult surfaces on which to make a comeback, particularly after spending nearly four years away from professional matches.
Even with those reservations, Williams concluded that her overall performance had been respectable under the circumstances.
Many observers, however, believed she exceeded her own modest assessment.
Her opponents were among the most accomplished doubles players on tour. Erin Routliffe is a two-time U.S. Open doubles champion, while Nicole Melichar-Martinez has reached doubles finals at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Against such experienced opposition, Williams demonstrated moments of remarkable shot-making that reminded spectators why she dominated women’s tennis for more than two decades.
Although there were occasions when her movement appeared slightly slower than during her peak years, she consistently displayed outstanding timing, anticipation and shot selection.
One of the most memorable moments came late in the opening set when Williams sprinted across the baseline to produce a spectacular running backhand winner at 4-4.
The shot appeared to surprise even Williams herself, who laughed after the point before exchanging celebratory high-fives with Mboko.
Her teenage partner admitted she was equally amazed.
Mboko praised Williams’ movement throughout the match and singled out the backhand winner as one of the highlights of the afternoon, saying she immediately realized that the former world No. 1 still possessed exceptional athletic ability despite the years away from competition.
The enthusiastic crowd at Queen’s Club responded warmly from the moment Williams entered the court.
She received a standing ovation upon her arrival, generating by far the loudest reaction of the day at the Andy Murray Arena.
The reception overshadowed earlier cheers for British stars Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter, both of whom had recorded singles victories during the HSBC Championships.
For Williams, the tournament also represented a historic personal milestone.
Despite enjoying one of the greatest careers in tennis history, she had never previously competed at Queen’s Club because the venue hosted only a men’s tournament for more than half a century before women’s competition returned in 2025.
Located in west London near Hammersmith, Queen’s Club has been one of Britain’s most iconic tennis venues since staging its first championships in 1881.
The event has long served as one of the most important Wimbledon warm-up tournaments, with past champions including Carlos Alcaraz, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and John McEnroe.
Reflecting on finally having the opportunity to compete there, Williams described the experience as particularly meaningful.
She noted that during her career the tournament had always been reserved for men and said it felt special to play at such a historic venue after women’s tennis returned.
The occasion also attracted several high-profile spectators.
Former Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn, a longtime friend of Williams who recently attempted her own comeback before suffering an injury-ending crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics, watched from one of the club’s balconies.
Also present were Williams’ daughters, Olympia and Adira.
For Adira, born in 2023, it marked the first opportunity to watch her mother compete in a professional tennis match.
Williams shared a humorous anecdote after the victory, revealing that her daughters appeared less focused on the significance of the occasion than on everyday childhood interests.
According to Williams, Adira wanted to visit a toy store while Olympia was more interested in finding out what would be served for dinner.
Although her successful return has sparked speculation about an expanded comeback, Williams remains undecided regarding future plans.
She is scheduled to compete in doubles at next week’s Berlin Open in Germany but has not yet committed to participating at Wimbledon, which begins on June 29.
When asked whether she intended to extend her comeback to the year’s third Grand Slam tournament, Williams said she was taking the decision one day at a time and appreciated being given the flexibility to evaluate her readiness before making a final commitment.
Williams last competed professionally at the 2022 U.S. Open, where she bid an emotional farewell to the sport after an extraordinary career.
At the time, she avoided describing her departure as retirement, instead saying she was “evolving” away from tennis, leaving open the possibility of a future return.
Over the course of her remarkable career, Williams established herself as one of the most accomplished athletes in sporting history.
She captured 23 Grand Slam singles championships, the most in the Open Era, including seven Wimbledon titles that cemented her dominance on grass courts.
In doubles competition, she added 14 Grand Slam titles, including six Wimbledon crowns won alongside her sister Venus Williams, forming one of the most successful partnerships the sport has ever seen.
Tuesday’s victory at Queen’s Club may represent only the beginning of a new chapter, but it also served as a reminder that Serena Williams remains capable of competing at the highest level and continues to inspire tennis fans around the world whenever she steps onto the court.
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