Williams wins on comeback after nearly four years
Serena Williams rolled back the years at Queen's Club on Tuesday with a winning performance on her return to tennis after 1,375 days away. Playing doubles alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, the 44-year-old American won 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to upset the third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez. Fans packed the Andy Murray Arena to watch one of the greatest players of all time return to action.
Serve still firing at 120 mph
Williams showed she had lost none of her power, unleashing serves at 120 mph and crushing groundstrokes that left opponents scrambling. She said she came back because she got tired of sitting at home, adding that her kids are out of school for the summer. Williams had announced she was evolving away from tennis in 2022 after winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
Daughters watch from the stands
Eight-year-old Olympia and Adira, born in 2023, watched from the stands with their father as their mother rediscovered the shots that made her a legend. When asked what her daughters thought of the performance, Williams joked that Adira wanted to go to the toy store and Olympia wanted to know what's for dinner. Williams' last match win before Tuesday was at the 2022 US Open.