Victoria Mboko’s knee injury leaves Serena Williams’ Queen’s Club doubles run uncertain

Serena Williams’ return to competitive tennis faces uncertainty after doubles partner Victoria Mboko retired from her singles match at the Queen’s Club tournament with a knee injury.

The 19-year-old Canadian was visibly distressed as she left the court during her match against Karolina Pliskova, raising immediate concerns about her fitness and the future of Serena Williams‘ doubles campaign.

Mboko was trailing Pliskova 6-2, 4-3 when she was forced to stop playing because of the injury. She limped off the court in tears before officially retiring from the match.

The incident has cast doubt over her participation in the remainder of the tournament and potentially her preparations for Wimbledon.

Williams and Mboko had been scheduled to play Canadian Laylah Fernandez and Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the second round of the doubles competition. However, the severity of Mboko’s injury remains unclear, making their participation uncertain.

The development comes shortly after Williams made her return to professional tennis.

The 44-year-old stepped onto the court at Queen’s Club for her first competitive appearance since the 2022 US Open, marking a significant moment in her career.

Williams and Mboko enjoyed an impressive start to their partnership.

The pair defeated third-seeded Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe in straight sets, winning 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. Their victory generated excitement among fans eager to see Williams back in action after her lengthy absence from the sport.

The strong performance suggested the pair could make a deep run in the tournament, but Mboko’s injury has now placed those hopes in doubt.

No official medical update has been provided regarding the nature or extent of the knee problem.

As a result, uncertainty remains over whether Mboko will be able to continue competing during the grass-court season.

The injury could also affect her participation at Wimbledon, although no decision has been announced.

For Williams, attention is also turning towards the next event on her comeback schedule.

The former world No 1 has confirmed she will compete at the Berlin Tennis Open, which begins on June 15.

The tournament represents another opportunity for Williams to continue her return to competition and build momentum during the grass-court season.

However, questions remain regarding who will partner her in Berlin.

No doubles partner has yet been confirmed for the event.

Williams recently spoke about her decision to add Berlin to her schedule and expressed her enthusiasm about competing in Germany.

She described every tournament she has added during her return as special and said she was looking forward to playing in front of German fans.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion also said she hopes to continue building momentum throughout the grass-court season.

For now, though, the focus remains on Mboko’s condition and whether the doubles partnership will be able to continue at Queen’s Club.

The teenager’s emotional exit from the court has created uncertainty around one of the tournament’s most closely watched pairings.

Williams’ return had already attracted significant attention, with supporters eager to see one of tennis’ most successful players back in competition.

The opening-round victory provided an encouraging start, but Mboko’s injury has now become the central concern.

Until further information is released, the fate of their Queen’s Club campaign remains unclear.

With Williams preparing for Berlin and Mboko awaiting further assessment, the coming days are expected to determine whether their promising partnership can continue or whether the injury will bring their run to an early end.