Serena Williams’ highly anticipated comeback to skilled tennis on the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Membership has ended prematurely after only one match.
The 44-year-old legend paired with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko for doubles, securing a straight-sets victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe in her first aggressive look for the reason that 2022 US Open.
The partnership unraveled when Mboko suffered a left knee damage throughout her singles match in opposition to Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday. Mboko slipped awkwardly on the baseline, clutching her knee and retiring from the competition after displaying indicators of instability.
Match officers confirmed her withdrawal from the doubles quarterfinal in opposition to Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund, awarding the opponents a walkover.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion with seven Wimbledon titles, expressed enthusiasm after her preliminary win, noting the particular feeling of competing on the iconic venue and citing boredom with residence life as motivation whereas her youngsters are on summer season break. She plans to proceed her return in doubles at subsequent week’s Berlin Open, with Wimbledon prospects remaining open however unsure.
The abrupt conclusion leaves followers longing for extra perception into her future on the courtroom.
