Serena Williams started preparations for her sensational return from retirement as she took to the Queen’s Club practice courts with doubles partner Victoria Mboko on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Mboko posted a photo on Instagram standing next to Williams on one of Queen’s Club’s grass courts ahead of next week’s tournament.<\/p>\n
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, this week revealed she will make her unexpected comeback at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London.<\/p>\n
Confirming she is Williams’ partner in the women’s doubles, Mboko wrote: “The Queen is back! An honour to share the court with one of the greatest athletes of all time this week.<\/p>\n
“Even more excited to play doubles together! Tennis is pretty special.”<\/p>\n
Williams, 44, is a quarter of a century older than 19-year-old Canadian Mboko, who was voted WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2025.<\/p>\n
The American legend has not played since appearing to end her remarkable career after the US Open in 2022.<\/p>\n
But she never used the word retirement, preferring to say she was “evolving away” from tennis.<\/p>\n
And after months of speculation about a potential return, Williams, who has two young children with husband Alexis Ohanian, announced her return on Monday.<\/p>\n
“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”<\/p>\n
Williams and Mboko have been awarded a wild card into the 16-team Queen’s Club doubles draw.<\/p>\n
In doubles competition, Williams amassed a superb 192-35 record and won 22 of her 23 career titles alongside sister Venus Williams.<\/p>\n
The pair triumphed in all 14 of their Grand Slam doubles finals together.<\/p>\n
With Wimbledon due to start on June 29, Williams is yet to reveal if her return to action will include playing in singles tournaments.<\/p>\n
The American, who won Wimbledon seven times, has not clinched a Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open.<\/p>\n
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