LONDON — Tennis great Serena Williams returned to competitive action with a straight-sets doubles victory on Tuesday.
Williams, 44, who last played four years ago at the 2022 U.S. Open, teamed with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko for a 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory against No. 3 seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez at the HSBC Championships, The Washington Post reported.
Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, and children Olympia and Adira watched the match from the stands, according to ESPN.
Williams, who has won 39 Grand Slam titles during her career -- including a record-setting 23 in women’s singles, 14 in doubles and two mixed championships -- reached the quarterfinal round with her partner.
She will play at least one more match at the Queen’s Club and, win or lose, has already committed to another doubles outing at the Berlin Tennis Open next week, the Post reported.
“I was nervous, but I didn’t really think about it ... I just thought about having fun, which I did today,” Williams said after the match. “I get nervous right before the match, like 30 minutes before.
“Then I just let it go.”
Wimbledon is a few days after Berlin, and Williams has yet to say if she will play, the Post reported.
Williams has won the doubles title six times at Wimbledon and will probably receive an invitation to the Grand Slam event.
She has won the women’s singles title there seven times.
Asked if Tuesday’s match had made her think about returning to Wimbledon, Williams said she was still taking things “one day at a time,” ESPN reported.
© 2026 Cox Media Group
