Serena Williams made her return to professional tennis Tuesday, playing in the women’s doubles draw at the HSBC Championships after nearly four years away from the tour.
The 44 year old paired with Canada’s 19 year old Victoria Mboko and beat the third-seeded team of Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar Martinez 7-6(2), 6-2. Williams and Mboko advanced to the quarterfinals at the grass court event at Queen’s Club.
Williams told reporters she had never played at the venue before because it had been men only for decades. She hit serves up to 120 mph during the match, including back to back aces at match point.
It was her first competitive match since the 2022 U.S. Open. The unseeded duo now moves on in the WTA 500 tournament, one of the final big tune ups before Wimbledon.