{"id":106287,"date":"2026-06-08T11:29:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T15:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=106287"},"modified":"2026-06-08T11:29:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T15:29:49","slug":"serena-williams-mboko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/06\/08\/serena-williams-mboko\/","title":{"rendered":"Serena Williams Makes Competitive Return Alongside Victoria Mboko"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the beginning of the month, the 23-time singles Grand Slam champion announced her return<\/a> to the sport. Her first tournament will be the HSBC Championships, where she is scheduled to play doubles alongside Canadian talent Victoria Mboko on Tuesday. The young Canadian is already ranked No. 9 in the world in WTA singles.<\/p>\n

Serena Williams will be playing her first competitive match since the 2022 US Open<\/a>. The North American pair have been handed a tough opening match, as they start their campaign against the third-seeded pair of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe. Both players are also doubles Grand Slam champions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is unclear when, or if, Serena will return to singles action. Questions have been flying around about her motivation since she announced her return. And the 44-year-old sought to clarify before she graces the court again. She stated<\/a>\u00a0that for her, it’s now about having fun, going further to say:<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need to win. I\u2019ve won more than most people have in their whole lives, so for me it\u2019s not important. It\u2019s important that I keep reminding myself of that because I don\u2019t have anything to prove, I don\u2019t have anything to lose, and everything here is just a gain”.<\/p>\n

Victoria Mboko<\/a>, also speaking about her new partner, had this to say<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“She’s hitting great. She has such clean ball striking, she could probably take years off, and when she steps on the court she could probably find that rhythm again and find her timing”.<\/p>\n

“So I think that’s really a God-given gift that she has. I personally think she’s ready to go. I’m hitting with her, she’s hitting pretty big, and she’s really fit, so we’ll see.”<\/p>\n

\n

She\u2019s ready\u2026 \u23f3#HSBCChampionships<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/TR045FcOSc<\/a><\/p>\n

— HSBC Championships (@QueensTennis) June 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n