Serena Williams’ return to competition concluded earlier than planned after her doubles partner, Victoria Mboko, withdrew from the HSBC Championships because of a knee injury.
The pair had opened with a straight-sets win in their first doubles match at the Queen’s Club on Tuesday. Mboko, however, injured her left knee Wednesday during her singles match against Karolina Pliskova when she slipped and landed awkwardly.
Tournament organizers confirmed Thursday that the 19-year-old Canadian was ruled out for the remainder of the doubles draw following her withdrawal against Pliskova.
Williams and Mboko had been scheduled to face Canadian Leylah Fernandez and German Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals on Thursday, but Fernandez and Siegemund advanced via walkover due to the withdrawal.
Tuesday’s match marked Williams’ first official appearance since the 2022 US Open. She competed alongside Mboko in what was her first outing at the Queen’s Club.
Williams, who is 44, stated that she intends to play at the Berlin Open next week. Details regarding her schedule beyond that, including whether she will return to Wimbledon, have not been confirmed.
Speaking after Tuesday’s doubles win, Williams said she was “taking things a day at a time” and expressed enjoyment about being back on court.
“I don’t know. I had nothing better to do. I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?” Williams said during her on-court comments.
She added, “I never got to play here; it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic.”
Her return to action came as part of an event that featured both men’s and women’s doubles matches at the Queen’s Club venue.
The withdrawal confirmed Thursday formally ends Williams and Mboko’s campaign at the HSBC Championships before their second match could take place.
Tournament officials did not provide further details regarding Mboko’s recovery or potential participation in future events.
With the Queen’s Club campaign concluded, Williams will next focus on preparation for the Berlin Open as previously confirmed.