Serena Williams' return to competitive tennis alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko at the Queen's Club Championships has ended prematurely. The pair withdrew from the tournament before their quarter-final match due to an injury sustained by Mboko, according to multiple reports.
Why did the pair withdraw?
Victoria Mboko was forced to withdraw from the doubles competition because of a left knee injury. According to Yahoo Sports, the 19-year-old Canadian suffered the injury during her singles match on Wednesday at the same tournament, compelling her to retire from that contest and subsequently pull out of the doubles event with Williams.
How did their first match go?
The duo made a successful debut by defeating the third-seeded team of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe. In what was Williams' first professional match since the 2022 U.S. Open, she and Mboko secured a 7-6(2), 6-2 victory on the grass courts, as reported by Outlook India. The match lasted one hour and 48 minutes, with Williams displaying powerful serving throughout, according to GB News.
Who was affected by the withdrawal?
The withdrawal gave a walkover victory to their scheduled quarter-final opponents, Canadian Leylah Fernandez and her German partner Laura Siegemund. According to a statement from the tournament cited by Yahoo Sports, Fernandez and Siegemund advanced directly to the semi-finals without playing the match.
Williams, 44, is next scheduled to compete at the Berlin Tennis Open, which begins on June 15, according to multiple sources. There is also growing speculation, reported by the Daily Sabah, that she may receive a wildcard entry to play at Wimbledon.
Sources
- Yahoo: Serena Williams' tennis comeback ends with disappointing withdrawal. Publication date: 2026-06-13.
- sports.inquirer.net: Serena Williams' comeback at Queen's over after Mboko injury. Publication date: 2026-06-12.
- www.outlookindia.com: Queen's Club C'ships 2026: Serena Makes Winning Comeback In Doubles Match Alongside Mboko. Publication date: 2026-06-13.
- GB News: Serena Williams calls out British tennis fan after winning first match in 1,376 days. Publication date: 2026-06-09.
- www.dailysabah.com: Wimbledon hails Serena Williams' return as wildcard buzz builds. Publication date: 2026-06-12.
- Mogaz: Queens Tennis: Serena Williams adds Queen's Club return and doubles with Mboko — Mogaz. Publication date: 2026-06-13.
Reported from public sources.