By Martyn Herman
LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) – Serena Williams stole the show at Queen’s Club on Tuesday as the American icon marked her eagerly awaited return to competitive action with victory nearly four years after her last match.
The 44-year-old mother of two daughters announced last week she had taken a wildcard to partner Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in the grasscourt WTA event and her re-appearance on a London lawn has been the talk of sport ever since.
She did not disappoint either, showing minimal signs of rust and plenty of her trademark firepower and fighting spirit as she and world number nine Mboko beat third seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6(2) 6-2.
“It was so much fun, it felt so natural playing with Vicky,” a beaming Williams said on court. “I guess I’ve got nothing better to do, I’m tired of sitting at home, my kids are out of school this summer so why not?”
Widely-regarded as the greatest female player of all time with 23 Grand Slam singles titles and 319 weeks as world number one, Williams never officially retired, instead saying that she was ‘evolving’ away from tennis.
But when she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the U.S. Open in September 2022 and bade an emotional farewell, few thought she would return to write another chapter in a sporting story that has inspired millions.
On Tuesday, a few miles down the road from Wimbledon where she won seven singles crowns, Williams stepped out in late afternoon sunshine in front of a packed stand and at times it looked like she had never been away.
Kitted out in light pink and white, Williams looked laser-focussed as she began her warm-up for the match, going through her routines as her incredible career record was read out.
Evening doubles matches at Queen’s are usually when ticket holders drift off to enjoy the hospitality at the elite west London club, but there was not a vacant seat and the members’ balcony was heaving as the American strolled out on the pristine grass of the Andy Murray Arena.
Even home hope Emma Raducanu’s earlier opening singles was relegated very much to the under-card and fellow British player Katie Boulter joked that they might be playing their doubles fixture later in the day in an empty court.
“Let’s go Serena” rang out from the stands as she belted away a typically aggressive volley in the opening game and there was a clenched fist as they won the opening game.
The fearsome serve that once struck fear into opponents was as smooth as ever and Williams launched a 120mph bullet later in the first set which she and Mboko edged on a tiebreak.
Williams had already won seven Grand Slam singles titles before 19-year-old Mboko was born but chemistry between the duo was obvious as they warmed to the task, clearly enjoying the occasion and each other’s company.
“She was moving great,” Mboko said. “There was one shot she hit and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, she’s got it’.”
The second set was more comfortable as Williams clocked up the 1,051st Tour-level win of her remarkable career — across singles and women’s doubles — fittingly by holding serve with the help of two aces.
Fans flocked from far and wide to watch the re-appearance of a trailblazer who took women’s tennis to a new level.
Kenyan Mukami Wambora had never seen Williams play but when she heard she was returning in London she booked a flight from Nairobi and got one of the hottest tickets in town.
“It feels like a godsend that she’s coming back because now I can finally watch my favourite tennis player,” she said.
“Serena will always be Serena, even when she didn’t have good matches she was still on another level, and we’ve seen through her sister Venus that it’s not about age it’s about skill. They say form is temporary; class is permanent.”
Few would disagree with that sentiment after watching Williams get back in the groove.
Williams, who also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her older sister Venus, will also play doubles in Berlin and could make a remarkable Wimbledon return this month.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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