Serena Williams returns to the WTA circuit at 44 years old with victory in doubles

Serena Williams felt like a professional tennis player again this Tuesday. Almost four years after his last game, the American star has returned to the competition. It has been in the doubles draw of the London grass tournament Queen’s, category 500, and he has done it with victory.

To his forty four yearsforms a pair with the Canadian Victoria Mbokonineteen. The combination between the two has been perfect from the start, with victory by 7-6(2) and 6-2 against the third seeds of the tournament, the American Nicole Melichar-Martinez and the New Zealander Erin Routliffe. With great expectations, the youngest of the Williams sisters has gained a rhythm of competition and good feelings.

In fact, Serena and Mboko’s performance has been very powerful, with a break in their favor, although they later lost it and were forced to win the tie-break. They no longer hesitated in the second set, in which they launched from the beginning for a comfortable victory.

It has been in the Serena Williams’ first professional match in 1,376 days. The former world number one had not played since US Open 2022. “It has been a lot of fun. I had a great time playing with Victoria,” said the youngest of the Williams sisters after achieving victory.

Serena announced last week her registration in the Queen’s doubles drawa first contact with professional tennis much later. Next to one of the young talents on the circuit, an already top-10 Mboko, there was a good performance, lasting an hour and a half. It was a premiere that remains to be seen if it opens the doors to something else.

For now, Serena has not commented on a possible individual return, although her return to the gates of Wimbledon has sparked great expectations. After passing the first round, Serena and Mboko will face Leylah Fernández and Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals.