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Serena Williams offered her condolences to her doubles partner Victoria Mboko after an injury forced the 19-year-old to withdraw from the Queen’s Club doubles tournament.
It looked unlikely Williams, 44, and Canadian Mboko would play Laila Fernandez and Laura Sigmund on Thursday evening when Mboko retired from her singles match against Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday after slipping in the second set.
Mboko officially withdrew from the doubles on Thursday morning, meaning Fernandez and Sigmund advanced to the semi-finals via walkovers and Williams’ attention will now turn to the Berlin Tennis Open, for which she has yet to announce a partner.
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Judy Murray discusses Serena Williams’ return to tennis
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Serena Williams talks about her shock return to tennis and confirms she’s not focusing on singles at the moment
After announcing their withdrawal, Williams – who was out of tennis for nearly four years before returning to Queen’s – posted a photo of herself training at the west London venue on Instagram, with daughter Olympia watching and smiling.
Writing to her 17.8 million followers and tagging her daughter, Williams said: “Some moments mean more than trophies. Olympia.
“What a fun and memorable week at the HSBC Championships. Thanks to everyone who made it so special.
“Wishing you a speedy recovery, Victoria Mboko. Can’t wait to see you back on court.”
Williams did not rule out Wimbledon, where she was crowned and won the women’s singles champion six times and won six doubles titles with her sister Venus.
He said after Tuesday’s win: “They were great about giving me that space and time to make a decision.”
Wimbledon’s wild card committee will officially make their decision next week, but SW19 organizers are certainly aware that Williams’ return to tennis has already inspired.
Asked if Williams would get a wild card spot, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) chief Sally Bolton said at a Wimbledon press conference on Thursday morning: “I can’t answer that question.
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Shot of Serena Williams’ first practice session at Queen’s Club before returning to the WTA Tour
“But I guess what I can say is, we can all see how much excitement Serena has created back on the tennis court, and especially on a grass court, and so one can only imagine what it will be like at the Championships.
“The wild card committee will officially make their decision next week and we’ll be in touch with them, but he’s certainly created a great buzz and it’s exciting for the sport.”
AELTC chair Debbie Jevans added: “As Sally said, there is a meeting next week and I’m sure it will not overlook her success at Wimbledon when making a decision.”
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