London (AFP) – Serena Williams made a winning return to tennis after four years in retirement as the American legend partnered Victoria Mboko in a first-round doubles victory at the Queen’s Club on Tuesday. Williams rolled back the years alongside Canadian teenager Mboko in a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 win over third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez at the grass-court tournament in west London.
It was like she had never been away as the 44-year-old produced her trademark thunderous serve and fearsome ground-strokes to the delight of a capacity crowd, including her two young daughters, Olympia and Adira, and husband Alexis Ohanian. After appearing to end her glittering career four years ago, the 23-time Grand Slam champion stunned the sporting world on Monday with her shock announcement that she would compete in the Queen’s Club doubles.
Williams’ decision to pick up a racquet in a competitive setting for the first time since losing to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open had sparked questions about the wisdom of her move. Would one of the sport’s all-time greats be able to approach her past excellence, or would she be a shadow of her former self? Williams hadn’t played in a tournament since saying she was “evolving away” from tennis in 2022, so inevitably there were signs of rust.
But she delivered a typically combative performance that will intensify questions over a potential return to singles action at Wimbledon, which starts later in June. Williams, who will take part in the doubles at the Berlin Open from June 15-21, has not won a Grand Slam singles title since the 2017 Australian Open. On Sunday, she played down suggestions that she would extend her return to singles competition.
However, she has won the Wimbledon singles trophy seven times, and the prospect of competing at the All England Club in some capacity will be hard to resist, especially if she continues her run at Queen’s. Williams had insisted it is the journey, rather than the destination, that drives her these days. And, 31 years after her first professional match, this was the latest fascinating adventure for the iconic American.
– Back in style –
Dressed in a white top, pink skirt, and matching shoes, Williams arrived on court to cheers and a standing ovation from the capacity crowd in the Andy Murray Arena. As former Olympic skiing gold medallist Lindsey Vonn watched from the stands, fans held up signs saying ‘Welcome back Serena’. Offering only a brief wave in acknowledgement of the acclaim, Williams was firmly focused on her first competitive match for 1,375 days.
The first point of Williams’ return was served by Mboko and ended in her partner sending a volley out without the American hitting a shot. Williams’ first touch of the ball came on the next point when she dumped a volley into the net. She made amends by hitting the first winner of her comeback with another volley to the delight of the crowd. Williams’ ground-strokes were hit with enough accuracy to keep her in the rallies, while her competitive instincts were as strong as ever.
She celebrated with a clenched fist after a ferocious smash secured a break for a 4-1 lead. Williams had said the chance to play in front of her children was the driving force behind her sensational return, and she provided a memorable moment for them. After unleashing a superb backhand winner from an acute angle off the court, she broke into a broad grin and spread her arms out in a gesture that suggested she was surprising even herself.
Williams had no problem approaching the devastating service speed of her glory days, thudding down one unreturnable delivery that reached 120mph late in the first set. She roared “let’s go” after the pair raced through the tie-break to take the opening set. The 19-year-old Mboko was the driving force in the second set, earning admiring fist-bumps from Williams as she unloaded winner after winner.
Fittingly, though, it was Serena’s lethal serve that sealed a victory four years in the making.
© 2024 AFP
