Serena Williams shrugs off nerves for doubles win in return - ESPN

LONDON — Serena Williams marked her return to professional tennis with a straight-sets doubles victory alongside partner Victoria Mboko on Tuesday, downing Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe at the HSBC Championships.

Williams, 44, who last played four years ago at the 2022 US Open, is through to the quarterfinals alongside Canadian Mboko, 19. The pair came through a tough opening set to win in emphatic fashion, 7-6, 6-2, in front of a sellout crowd.

Williams' future beyond next week remains unclear, but she has said that having fun and playing in front of her family are her immediate focus. Husband Alexis Ohanian and children Olympia and Adira watched from the stands during Tuesday's match.

«I don't know. I had nothing better to do, I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?» Williams said on court following the match. «I never got to play here, it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic.»

Despite a glittering career and an insistence on Sunday she had «nothing to lose» ahead of her hugely anticipated return, Williams said there were some prematch nerves as the moment approached.

«I was nervous, but I didn't really think about it… I just thought about having fun, which I did today,» Williams said. «I get nervous right before the match, like 30 minutes before… Then I just let it go.»

Any tension certainly didn't show.

Williams and Mboko started strong and instantly looked like a coherent team, going out to a 3-0 lead in the first set, much to the delight of those on site at Queen's Club. The fans made no secret of their desire to see the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion make a successful return to the court and prolong her stay in