Serena Williams’ HSBC Championships run ends on sour, unfortunate note

Last weekend, Serena Williams disclosed that her return to professional tennis was primarily fueled by wanting her daughters, Olympia, eight, and Adira, two, to see her play.

“I’ve won more than most people have in their whole lives, so it’s not that important to me, and it’s important that I keep reminding myself of that, because I don’t have anything to prove,” the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion said. “I don’t have anything to lose, and everything here to just to gain.”

Williams, 44, played her first match since the 2022 US Open as a wild card at the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club in London on Tuesday. Williams’ daughters and husband, Alexis Ohanian, were on hand, so mission accomplished for Williams. But whether or not it was the goal, she and Canadian phenom Victoria Mboko, 19, could have hoisted a trophy.

Williams and Mboko had never played doubles together, but they looked totally in sync en route to a straight-set win over Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe. They were in line to play Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the doubles quarterfinals on Thursday, but Mboko, the world No. 9 in singles, suffered an injury in her match against Karolína Plíšková on Wednesday.

Mboko was forced to retire with an apparent knee injury and later withdrew from the tournament, ending Williams’ comeback prematurely as a result.

Williams handled it with grace — with the attitude of someone who truly just wanted to play tennis for fun and to set an example for her kids. She posted an Instagram carousel of six photos, including a snapshot of Olympia beaming while watching her mom serve.

“Some moments mean more than trophies [red heart emoji] @olympiaohanian,” Williams captioned her post. “What a fun and memorable week at @hsbcchampionships. Thank you to everyone who made it so special. Wishing you a speedy recovery, @vickymboko. Can’t wait to see you back on court.”

Williams also posted a shot of her and Mboko to her Instagram Story alongside a message to Mboko, reading, “You’re an incredible talent, and you’ll be back out there in no time. Wishing you a speedy recovery.” Mboko reposted that, adding a mending heart emoji and a hugging emoji.

Luckily for fans, Williams’ comeback is not over. She is scheduled to play at the Berlin Tennis Open next week. She will reportedly play doubles with Karolina Muchova, per The Times’ tennis correspondent Tom Kershaw.

“Every tournament I add to my schedule right now feels special, and Berlin is no exception,” Williams said in a statement on the tournament’s official website. “I’m excited to compete in front of the German fans and continue building momentum throughout the grass-court season.”