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Serena Williams’ participation in her second-round doubles match at Queen’s is in serious doubt after her partner Victoria Mboko sustained a nasty injury on Wednesday.
Canadian star Mboko was battling back in the second set of her match against Karolina Pliskova when she slipped on the grass at the back of the court.
The 19-year-old was in tears as she received treatment on her knee and was forced to retire from the second-round encounter on Andy Murray Arena.
Mboko is due to play alongside Williams against Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the fourth and final match on Thursday – but it now seems extremely likely that they will have to withdraw from the match.
Williams, 44, looked in fine fettle as she returned to the match court after almost four years on Tuesday alongside Mboko.
The pair defeated the third seeds of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe, 7-6 6-2, with a full house on the stadium court at Queen’s Club.
“It was so fun,” Williams said on court. “You can do anything at any age.”
She added: “I think I was nervous, but I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t really think about being nervous. I just thought about having fun, which I did today.
Serena Williams won on her return to tennis on Tuesday (Getty)
“I never got to play here, it was always just the men. It feels very special to play somewhere so iconic. It’s very cool.”
Williams will next play at the grass-court event in Berlin next week and is set to partner Karolina Muchova in the doubles.
The American is yet to confirm whether she will play at Wimbledon, but said on Tuesday: “It’s just a day at a time. I still have a little time to decide.
“They have been great about giving me that space and time to decide.”