Serena Williams’ return to competitive tennis has been cut short after her doubles partner, Victoria Mboko, withdrew from the HSBC Championships with a knee injury.
Williams and Mboko were due to continue their doubles campaign at Queen’s Club after winning their opening match earlier in the tournament.
However, the pair were forced to withdraw after Mboko suffered the injury during her singles match against Karolina Pliskova.
The withdrawal brought an early end to Williams’ first tournament appearance since the 2022 US Open.
Serena Williams and Victoria Mboko forced to withdraw at Queen’s
Williams had returned to action at the HSBC Championships alongside Mboko in the doubles draw.
The pair entered the tournament as a wild-card team and made a winning start against Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe.
Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe were the No. 3 seeds, making the result a notable win in Williams’ first competitive match for almost four years.
Williams’ opening doubles win marked her first tour-level appearance since the 2022 US Open.
The 44-year-old had not played a professional match since her third-round defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic in New York.
Her appearance at Queen’s drew significant attention, with Williams returning as one of the most decorated players in tennis history.
She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles during her career.
Victoria Mboko injury ends Serena Williams’ Queen’s campaign
Williams and Mboko’s tournament ended after the Canadian suffered a knee injury during her singles match against Pliskova.
Mboko slipped on the grass and was later unable to continue, forcing the doubles pair to withdraw from the competition.
The injury meant Williams’ Queen’s campaign lasted just one completed match.
The early exit does not currently appear to mark the end of Williams’ wider return to the tour.
Williams is scheduled to continue in Berlin, where she is expected to compete in doubles at the Berlin Tennis Open.
Her appearance at Queen’s was part of her grass-court return after a long absence from professional tennis.
Further updates are expected on Mboko’s fitness after the knee injury forced the pair out of the HSBC Championships.
Read more:
O que achou dessa notícia? Deixe um comentário abaixo e/ou compartilhe em suas redes sociais. Assim conseguiremos informar mais pessoas sobre o que acontece no mundo do tênis!
Esta notícia foi originalmente publicada em:
Fonte original