Serena Williams Returns to Tennis and Wins After Four Years

US player Serena Williams played her first match in four years at the Queen’s Club doubles on June 9, 2026. She teamed up with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko to beat third seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe. The score was 7-6 (7/2), 6-2. Williams expressed how much she enjoyed being back on the court.

The 44-year-old tennis legend surprised everyone last week when she announced she would play in the Queen’s Club doubles. Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, looked strong during her return. She overcame nerves before the match, saying, "I got nervous like, maybe 30 minutes before, and then I just let it go."

She continued, "I didn’t really think about being nervous, I thought about having fun, which I did. It was so fun. I had so much fun playing with Victoria. I never got to play here before, it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic."

Many people wondered if it was a good idea for Williams to return after losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the 2022 US Open. But she played like she never left, showing off her powerful serve and strong groundstrokes. The crowd loved every moment of it.

After her win, Williams was not completely satisfied with her performance. When asked to rate it, she joked, "Oh my god! What do you think? A C minus?" She added, "All the elements, considering coming back on grass is probably not the easiest surface. On the grass, four years… Overall I think it was decent."

Williams said she came back to play in front of her kids. Her daughters, Olympia and Adira, along with her husband Alexis Ohanian, were there to support her. But Williams laughed as she shared that her kids had other things on their minds. "Adira wanted to go to the toy store, and Olympia wanted to know what was for dinner," she said.

Next, Williams and Mboko will face Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarter-finals. Williams also plans to play doubles at the Berlin Open next week. Fans are excited to see if she will compete at Wimbledon.

When asked about playing singles at Wimbledon, where she has won seven titles, Williams said she was taking it one step at a time. On Tuesday, she said, "Yeah, like I said the other day, it’s just a day at a time. I still have a little time to decide, and they (Wimbledon officials) have been great about giving me that space and time to decide."

Mboko, who was born in 2006 when Williams had already won seven Grand Slam singles titles, called Williams her "idol." She shared how special it was to play alongside her. "Of course even knowing I could play with Serena with me, I’m so grateful, first of all," Mboko said. "I don’t play that much doubles, but I think sharing the court, I think I can learn a lot, even though we’re still competing. I just had so much fun today."

Mboko, who ranks ninth in singles, believes Williams will quickly improve. "I thought she was doing great. I understand it felt far from her level but it’s great to have that much room for improvement and have the motivation to get better," she said. "Overall I thought it was pretty good. There was one shot where I thought ‘oh my gosh she’s got it.’"