Serena Williams’ return to competitive tennis has been cut short after doubles partner Victoria Mboko suffered a knee injury at Queen’s.
Serena Williams and Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko have withdrawn from the Queen’s Club doubles tournament after Mboko sustained a left knee injury during her singles match.
Mboko was forced to retire while trailing 6-2, 3-4 against Karolína Plíšková on Wednesday. The 19-year-old fell awkwardly, clutched her knee in pain, and left the court in tears. As a result, Williams and Mboko were unable to play their scheduled doubles quarter-final.
The pair had made headlines when they defeated Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in Williams’ first competitive match in years. The victory marked a successful return for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion after 1,375 days away from the sport.
Despite the setback, Williams is expected to continue her comeback at the Berlin Open next week. Reports suggest she will partner Karolína Muchová in doubles. Meanwhile, concerns remain over Mboko’s fitness ahead of The Championships, Wimbledon, which begins on 29 June.
Williams’ Queen’s campaign may be over, but attention is already turning to her potential Wimbledon return.
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