More than 9,000 tennis fans flocked to Queen’s on Tuesday to watch one of the sport’s great players grace the court once again – and it seems all but two of them left satisfied.
At the age of 44, Serena Williams played her first professional match in four years at the HSBC Championship doubles in west London and ran out victorious alongside partner Victoria Mboko.
Against the odds, the duo overcame No3 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6, 6-2 as Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, 43, watched on proudly from the stands alongside their two daughters Olympia and Adira, eight and two.
The American hailed the ‘special occasion’ in her post-match interview, almost half a decade after she took a step back from the sport at the US Open.
But, for the two little ones, it seems their mother’s comeback victory won’t be quite so memorable.
Williams joked: ‘Adira wanted to go to the toy store and Olympia wanted to know what’s for dinner.’
The 23-time Grand Slam winner and sister of Venus said the time had come to ‘evolve’ away from tennis when she announced her departure aged 40.
It was a year later that she and her millionaire husband, who founded Reddit, welcomed Adira, their youngest, six years after the birth of first-born Olympia.
Serena Williams made a triumphant return to tennis on Tuesday at Queen’s with her family watching on from the stands (Williams is pictured embracing her eldest daughter Olympia, eight)
The 23-time Grand Slam winner however admitted that Adira, two, (left) and Olympia (bottom right) were more interested in what was for dinner than watching their mother’s triumphant return
Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, 43, is pictured with their two daughters on Wednesday
But Williams admitted during her hiatus that she ‘missed it (tennis) so much’ and, ahead of her return, revealed that Adira and Olympia were the reason behind her sensational comeback.
She said: ‘It’s really about my kids getting to see me play. Olympia is a little bit older, Adira is very young, but it’s also still moments like that.’
Playing alongside a partner some 25 years her junior, Williams’ return in the British sunshine however got off to a somewhat concerning start.
Clad in a pink skirt and her signature Nike white vest, Williams’ first involvement came in the third point, when she netted a routine forehand volley sparking nervous murmurs from the crowd.
But the serial winner soon bounced back, drawing raucous cheers from supporters when she hustled across the net and volleyed away two winners in a row en route to a hold.
It was 92 minutes and two sets on that her victorious return was sealed with a glorious first serve. It was a shot reminiscent of the American in her prime.
She greeted her family with a warm embrace post-match, and gushed about playing with her new doubles partner during an interview.
‘It was so much fun,’ Williams said. ‘I had so much fun playing with Victoria. She was really able to hold up the team and play big on the big points. I could rely on her. We have never played together but it felt so natural.’
On what was her first appearance at Queen’s, named after Queen Victoria, she added: ‘I never got to play here – it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic.
‘You can do anything at any age. It doesn’t matter as long as you’re healthy and you take care of yourself and you’re happy and you’re doing your best. It’s really all that matters.’
The seven-time Wimbledon champion was, however, modest about her performance. When asked for a rating, she replied: ‘What do you think? A C-minus?’
The occasion marked the first time Williams had graced a tennis court in four years, after she took a step away from the sport in 2022
The iconic right-hander ran out victorious alongside her partner Victoria Mboko, 19, in straight sets
More than 9,000 tennis fans flocked to the stadium in west London for the occasion
It prompted a supportive response from Mboko, who has previously admitted that Williams was her idol growing up. She said: ‘Don’t be too hard on yourself. I thought she was moving great.’
The victory means the North American duo progress to the second round later this week, when they will face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and Germany’s Laura Siegemund.
With the start of Wimbledon now just 19 days away, Williams’ return sparked excitement she could also feature at the iconic tournament.
But whether the icon will grace the green grass of south-west London once again remains a mystery, and she was coy about such a prospect after yesterday’s triumph.
‘It’s just a day at a time,’ she said. ‘I still have a little time to decide, and they have been great about giving me that time to decide.’
