Nearly four years after stepping away from the sport following the 2022 US Open, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams stepped back onto the grass courts at the 2026 HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club. Partnering with 19-year-old standout Victoria Mboko, the duo looked poised for a deep run. However, their promising campaign was cut short after their opening victory, as Mboko suffered a major injury setback the following day. And Williams only had words of praise for the Canadian.
Serena Williams Sends Victoria Mboko Warm Recovery Message After Queen’s Club
Facing off against the No. 3-seeded team of Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in the round of 16, in front of a sold-out Andy Murray Arena in London, Williams and Mboko secured a dominant 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory.
Williams surprised everyone with her physical form, firing off service winners at speeds up to 120 mph, while the duo boasted a combined 75% first-serve rate. But the tragedy struck the following day during Mboko’s singles round-of-16 match against Karolína Plíšková. After dropping the first set and fighting back to a 4-3 lead in the second, the young Canadian slipped on the tricky grass, causing a painful left knee injury. Mboko had to retire from the singles match and, on Thursday morning, from the doubles tournament as well, granting their quarterfinal opponents a walkover.
Williams took to Instagram to wish the young prodigy well. Posting a few photos, including one with the two of them, she wrote, “Wishing you a speedy recovery, @vickymboko. Can’t wait to see you back on court.”
She also added an Instagram Story, “@vickymboko, you’re an incredible talent, and you’ll be back out there in no time. Wishing you a speedy recovery.”
For Mboko, playing with her idol, Williams, was a dream come true. “I heard rumors of her coming back, but I never really knew the details of what she wanted to do,” Mboko said in the pre-match interview. “I feel like I can learn a lot from her, but at the same time, I think we could have a lot of fun while playing doubles. I really admire her a lot, and I’m just really excited to step out with her.”
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The Queen’s Club run ended suddenly, but Williams’ return to court is just getting started. Her focus now shifts to the Berlin Open next week. While tournament officials have yet to announce her partner formally, reports say she will team up with Czech player Karolína Muchová.
