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Victoria Mboko grew up idolizing Serena Williams. Now she's playing with her.
The 19-year-old from Canada confirmed she is playing doubles with the 23-time Grand Slam champion at the HSBC Championships, posting a photo of the two at The Queen's Club. The tournament, which begins June 8, is the first in almost four years for Williams.
Williams announced her return to tennis June 1.
"The Queen is back. An honor to share the court with one of the greatest athletes of all time this week. Even more excited to play doubles together! Tennis is pretty special," Mboko wrote, adding heart and goat emojis.
While best known for her success in singles, Williams is also an exceptional doubles player. She and older sister Venus won 14 Grand Slam titles, never losing a final at one of the majors. They also won two Olympic gold medals together.
It's not clear why Williams chose to play doubles at Queen's Club with Mboko, though Mboko said Williams has been one of her supporters. Mboko is currently ranked No. 9 in the world.
"Me and Serena have stayed in touch, which is really, really nice, because you know, I really look up to her. I mean, the fact that she even knows me is very, it's very exciting," Mboko said, laughing, at the French Open.
Opinion: Serena Williams, at 44, will shatter myth that women have a 'use-by' date | Opinion
Williams stepped away from tennis after the U.S. Open in 2022, in part because she and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, wanted more children. Williams, now 44, had her second daughter, Adira, in August 2023.
But she later said she also had been limited by the joint pain she'd suffered since the birth of her first daughter, Olympia, in September 2017. A GLP-1 drug finally alleviated that, Williams said in August 2025. The medication had helped her lose 31 pounds.
She rejoined the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s drug-testing pool, a requirement to play, later that fall, creating speculation that she was considering a comeback. Though Williams dodged questions about her future, videos of her practicing began surfacing earlier this year.
The HSBC Championships confirmed the rumors June 1, posting a photo of Williams with the caption "THE QUEEN RETURNS." Williams also posted a video of her practicing on a grass court only to be interrupted by her phone repeatedly buzzing and ringing.
"Guess everybody heard the news" flashed across the screen as Williams was heard saying, "I've got to change my number."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Who is Serena Williams doubles partner?
Continue reading...
The 19-year-old from Canada confirmed she is playing doubles with the 23-time Grand Slam champion at the HSBC Championships, posting a photo of the two at The Queen's Club. The tournament, which begins June 8, is the first in almost four years for Williams.
Williams announced her return to tennis June 1.
"The Queen is back. An honor to share the court with one of the greatest athletes of all time this week. Even more excited to play doubles together! Tennis is pretty special," Mboko wrote, adding heart and goat emojis.
While best known for her success in singles, Williams is also an exceptional doubles player. She and older sister Venus won 14 Grand Slam titles, never losing a final at one of the majors. They also won two Olympic gold medals together.
It's not clear why Williams chose to play doubles at Queen's Club with Mboko, though Mboko said Williams has been one of her supporters. Mboko is currently ranked No. 9 in the world.
"Me and Serena have stayed in touch, which is really, really nice, because you know, I really look up to her. I mean, the fact that she even knows me is very, it's very exciting," Mboko said, laughing, at the French Open.
Opinion: Serena Williams, at 44, will shatter myth that women have a 'use-by' date | Opinion
Williams stepped away from tennis after the U.S. Open in 2022, in part because she and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, wanted more children. Williams, now 44, had her second daughter, Adira, in August 2023.
But she later said she also had been limited by the joint pain she'd suffered since the birth of her first daughter, Olympia, in September 2017. A GLP-1 drug finally alleviated that, Williams said in August 2025. The medication had helped her lose 31 pounds.
She rejoined the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s drug-testing pool, a requirement to play, later that fall, creating speculation that she was considering a comeback. Though Williams dodged questions about her future, videos of her practicing began surfacing earlier this year.
The HSBC Championships confirmed the rumors June 1, posting a photo of Williams with the caption "THE QUEEN RETURNS." Williams also posted a video of her practicing on a grass court only to be interrupted by her phone repeatedly buzzing and ringing.
"Guess everybody heard the news" flashed across the screen as Williams was heard saying, "I've got to change my number."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Who is Serena Williams doubles partner?
Continue reading...
