Mboko injury clouds Williams doubles return
A sudden knee slip leaves Serena Williams weighing whether her grass-court pairing can survive the quarterfinals and the quick shift to Berlin.
Serena Williams’ doubles campaign at Queen’s Club could be over after one match. The 44-year-old had just rediscovered rhythm on grass when her partner’s injury introduced fresh doubt into an already compressed schedule.
Victoria Mboko, the American star’s doubles partner, sustained a knee injury in her singles match against Karolina Pliskova (12980f68-c24c-dc1a-da0c-1365303e5cd4) on Wednesday. She had won their opening doubles match Tuesday against third seeds and looked poised to build on that momentum.
“it’s such a shame. I think we played quite a good game and she was improving as the match was going on. I wish her only the best. it’s not the way I want to win so hopefully she is going to be fine for Wimbledon.”
Karolina Pliskova expressed immediate concern after the retirement. The crowd at the HSBC Championships watched Mboko grab her left knee after slipping behind the baseline while trying to break at deuce.
Baseline slip alters footwork demands
Mboko lost the first set 6-2 and was up 4-3 in the second before the fall forced her to tell the physiotherapist there was “no stability right now.” She walked gingerly to the bench and covered her face with a towel. On grass, that loss of push disrupts the drive into inside-out forehands that open crosscourt angles for the net player.
won their opening doubles match Tuesday by scores of 7-6 (2), 6-2. Those points came from compact returns and quick exchanges that limited errors. Without similar stability from the baseline, the one-two pattern of serve plus approach becomes harder to execute cleanly.
Quarterfinal draw sits in limbo
As of Wednesday night, Mboko and Williams remained on Thursday’s schedule to face Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals. The match is set to close the day’s order. Fernandez’s left-handed spin pulls returns wide while Siegemund mixes underspin approaches that test first-step reactions at net.
Mboko is ranked No. 9 in singles. Her movement had sharpened through early rounds at Queen’s Club until the slip. Any limitation in lateral drive would force Williams to cover more of the middle or adjust her starting position closer to the alley.
Berlin commitment tightens recovery window
Williams had previously announced that she will also play doubles at the Berlin Open next week. That decision compresses the time available for medical updates and practice before the next grass-court stop. The HSBC Championships close the London block before Wimbledon, so a call on Thursday shapes how much preparation remains.
On Tuesday, Williams and Mboko beat third-seeded duo Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6 (2), 6-2 in Williams’ first professional match since the 2022 U.S. Open. Repeating that net coverage and serve placement now depends on whether the knee allows full movement in the coming days. Both players stand to gain from measured participation that protects long-term plans rather than forcing an uncertain start.