Serena Williams came back to tennis on Tuesday, won, and then graded herself a C-minus. The 44-year-old returned at Queen’s Club for her first match since the 2022 U.S. Open, firing service winners at 120 mph.
Williams partnered with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko and beat third-seeded Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6 (2), 6-2 at the HSBC Championships, the Associated Press reported.
“It was so fun. I had so much fun playing with Victoria,” Williams said in an on-court interview. The crowd at the Andy Murray Arena gave her a standing ovation, the loudest cheer of the day.
At her news conference, Williams was harder on herself. “A C-minus,” she said, pointing to the grass and the four years away. Routliffe is a two-time U.S. Open doubles champion. The opposition wasn’t soft.
Her daughters Olympia and Adira were in the stands, and for Adira it was the first time watching her mother play. Their review ran cold. “Adira wanted to go to the toy store, and Olympia wanted to know what was for dinner,” Williams said.
She plays the Berlin Open next week. Wimbledon starts June 29, and she has not decided.
