Serena Williams is gearing up for a sensationally return to tennis at Queen’s, where she will play doubles alongside Victoria Mboko.
Williams has not played competitive tennis for nearly four years, but she is set for at least two tournaments on the grass ahead of Wimbledon.
Following confirmation that she would play Queen’s, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has also been awarded a wildcard for the doubles draw at the Berlin Open.
Fans have expressed concerns about Williams’ level, but she has been praised for making a wise decision ahead of her tennis return at Queen’s.
Speaking to the Inside-In Tennis Podcast, Chanda Rubin believes Williams picking Mboko as a doubles partner is a stroke of genius.
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“The fact that she’s starting with a doubles match alongside such an in form player as Victoria Mboko, I think all of that will help,” said the American.
“And it’s also, I think, going to be fun for Serena to get back out, feel those juices flowing again. She is such an incredible competitor, Serena, and has been throughout her career. And that’s what she’s going to pull from.
“She’s going to be rusty, hasn’t played live tennis, but that competitive fire, I have no doubt, is going to be on full display and next to such a dynamic young player that I think is going to be helpful and will motivate her as she motivates her younger partner. So, it’ll be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
After stints at Queen’s and in Berlin, many are expecting Williams to receive a wildcard for Wimbledon. It is unclear at this time whether that would be just doubles, but a player of the American’s calibre will surely want to prove she can still brush shoulders with the WTA Tour elite.
Williams has not played Wimbledon since 2022, when she lost in the first round to Harmony Tan, but she has an immense history at the Grand Slam.
She won the Grand Slam seven times in 14 years at Wimbledon, between 2002 and 2016, and she added another seven titles in doubles and mixed doubles.
The star is joint-second in all-time women’s singles titles, alongisde Steffi Graf, and only Martina Navratilova has won more than Williams.
Williams won every doubles title with her sister Venus Williams, while the mixed doubles trophy came alongside Max Mirnyi at the 1998 event.
While she is very unlikely to hit those heights if she does return to Wimbledon, she will be a blockbuster addition to the grass court Grand Slam this year.
The post Serena Williams hailed for making a wise decision already ahead of return to tennis appeared first on Tennis365.
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