Serena Williams' HSBC Championships Comeback Cut Short After Victoria Mboko’s Injury Withdrawal

Serena Williams’ highly anticipated return to professional tennis has been abruptly halted at the Queen's Club Championships. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion was forced to withdraw from the women's doubles draw at the HSBC Championships after her playing partner, 19-year-old Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko, sustained a left knee injury during a singles match on Wednesday. The retirement automatically cancels the pair's scheduled quarter-final fixture, bringing an unexpected end to Williams' first competitive appearance on the WTA Tour in nearly four years. On This Day in 2023: Novak Djokovic Wins Record 23rd Grand Slam By Clinching French Open Title.

Victoria Mboko Withdraws

The unfortunate turn of events occurred during Mboko’s round-of-16 singles match against former world number one Karolina Pliskova. While attempting to navigate the slick grass surface behind the baseline, the teenager suffered a heavy fall as she tried to change direction.

Mboko was trailing 2-6, 3-4 at the time of the incident, which occurred during a deuce point after she failed to capitalise on multiple break-point opportunities. Visibly shaken and in tears, the young Canadian received immediate medical assistance on the court before being forced to retire from the match, subsequently ruling her out of the remainder of the doubles tournament.

Promising Start Disrupted

The withdrawal comes as a major disappointment for fans at the Andy Murray Arena, who had witnessed a vintage performance from the 44-year-old Williams just 24 hours prior. Teaming up with Mboko for the first time, Williams demonstrated sharp reflexes and a powerful serve to dismantle the tournament's third seeds, Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe, in straight sets (7-6, 6-2). Serena Williams Adds Berlin Open 2026 to Comeback Schedule Following Queen’s Club Championship Return.

Following that opening-round victory, Williams expressed immense satisfaction with the partnership, noting that playing alongside the Canadian felt completely natural. The duo had been scheduled to face the unseeded pairing of Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarter-finals on Thursday evening. Due to the walkover, Fernandez and Siegemund will advance directly to the semi-finals.

Tournament Details

The HSBC Championships, also known as the Queen's Club Championships, is a key grass-court warm-up for Wimbledon. The women's WTA 500 event runs from June 8 to June 14, 2026, at The Queen's Club in London.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 11, 2026 04:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).