The feel-good story of Serena Williams’ return to competitive tennis has hit an unexpected snag. Victoria Mboko withdrew from her first-round singles match at the HSBC Championships on Wednesday after appearing to sustain an injury during the second set. The setback has cast doubt over the remainder of the partnership that has captured the tennis world’s attention this week.
Mboko, seeded third at Queen’s Club in West London, was trailing former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 3-4, when she fell at the back of the court. The 19-year-old from Burlington, Ontario took a medical timeout but was unable to continue. The nature and severity of the injury have not yet been confirmed.
A win after 1,375 days away from the sport 🐐
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 9, 2026
Serena Williams, together with doubles partner Victoria Mboko, won 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to upset third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez at Queen’s. pic.twitter.com/AmGKN0UZ55
The timing is particularly unfortunate given the context. The injury puts in doubt Mboko’s participation for the rest of the short grass season, including her doubles partnership at Queen’s Club with tennis legend Serena Williams. With Wimbledon beginning later this month, the entire grass-court stretch — one of the most important periods in the tennis calendar — now hangs in the balance for the young Canadian.
The doubles partnership between the two had gotten off to a spectacular start just one day earlier. After nearly four years away from professional tennis, Williams made a winning return at Queen’s Club on Tuesday, hitting service winners of up to 120 mph as she and Mboko beat third-seeded duo Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6 (2), 6-2. It was Williams’ first professional match since the 2022 US Open, and the result immediately raised expectations for how far the pair might go in the tournament.
The partnership itself had been one of the more intriguing storylines of the season. The 44-year-old American icon and the 19-year-old Canadian rising star share a quarter-century age difference between them, yet the two appeared to build a natural chemistry on court from their first practice sessions together. Mboko had spoken warmly of Williams ahead of the tournament, saying she was “hitting pretty big” and was “really fit,” adding that she personally believed Williams was “ready to go.”
For Mboko, the injury is a blow that extends well beyond Queen’s Club. It was her first singles match on grass this season, and as a player widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents on the WTA tour, grass-court experience at this stage of her development carries real value. Williams had received a wildcard into the Queen’s Club event in what was widely seen as preparation for a potential Wimbledon return, and Mboko’s availability for that event now appears uncertain as well.
No official statement has been made by either player or tournament officials regarding the doubles draw. As of now, the pair’s second-round match remains in question, with updates expected in the coming days as the extent of Mboko’s injury becomes clearer.