Serena Williams’ tennis comeback started on a good note, as she won her doubles match at the Queen’s Club with her partner, Victoria Mboko, on Tuesday.
Mboko then went ahead to play her first-round singles match the following day. But the 19-year-old Canadian, who was born to Congolese parents, suffered a knee injury in that match, TMZ Sports reported.
Mboko was unable to shake off the injury, and she ultimately withdrew from that match. The HSBC Championships on Thursday announced that Williams, 44, and Mboko won’t be able to compete in the next stage of the doubles tournament because of the 19-year-old’s injury.
The pair were set to play their quarterfinal match against Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund, but their opponents will now automatically advance to the next stage.
After the pair announced their withdrawal from the competition, Williams took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the support and also wish Mboko a speedy recovery.
“Some moments mean more than trophies. Olympia. What a fun and memorable week at the HSBC Championships. Thank you to everyone who made it so special,” Williams captioned alongside a carousel of photos that includes her daughter Olympia as well as Mboko.
“Wishing you a speedy recovery, Victoria Mboko. Can’t wait to see you back on court.”
Though Williams’ time at the Queen’s Club has been cut short, she’s still billed to compete in the doubles tournament at the Berlin Open next week. Her partner for that tournament is 29-year-old Czech player Karolina Muchova, The Times reported.
Williams had not played a professional match since the US Open in 2022, when she did not exactly say that she was retiring but said she was “evolving away” from tennis. The following year, she gave birth to her second daughter.