Williams said she was “evolving away” from tennis in 2022 after winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles in her 27-year career.
Excitement about a possible return grew last year when her name appeared on the list of players registered for the drug-testing pool, and again when it was put on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reinstatements list in February.
But her comeback was only confirmed last week when it was announced she would be joining 19-year-old Mboko for doubles at London’s Queen’s Club.
A whirlwind nine days followed, with Williams saying she “had nothing to prove” and that the main motivation was the prospect of her daughters seeing her play.
Eight-year-old Olympia and Adira, who was born in 2023, watched on from the stands with their father and cheered on as their mother rediscovered some of the shots that has made her a legend of the sport.
Williams’ first strike of the ball left fans wondering if the all-time great had lost her touch as she planted a volley from close range into the net.
But those doubts had been quashed 92 minutes later as her serve – once considered her greatest weapon – wrapped up her first match win since the 2022 US Open.
Her daughters might have been less impressed.
Asked what they thought of her performance, Williams joked: “Adira wanted to go to the toy store and Olympia wanted to know what’s for dinner.”
