Tennis legend Serena Williams will face a tough test in her long-awaited return to professional competition, as she and partner Victoria Mboko have drawn the No. 3 seeds in the opening round of the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club.The 44-year-old 23-time Grand Slam champion, making her first appearance since the 2022 US Open, received a wild card into the doubles draw alongside the rising Canadian star. The pair will take on the formidable third-seeded team of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe on Monday or Tuesday.Williams and Mboko, who practiced together earlier this week on the grass courts of Queen’s Club, represent one of the most intriguing storylines of the 2026 grass-court season. Mboko, the 19-year-old world No. 9, has described partnering with her childhood idol as a dream come true. “It’s an honor to share the court with Serena,” Mboko posted on social media. “I’m so excited for what’s ahead.”Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe, the 2024 US Open doubles champions, bring significant grass-court pedigree and coordination as a established pairing. They will pose a stern challenge for the Williams-Mboko duo, who are playing together for the first time in a competitive match.Serena’s return has generated massive excitement across the tennis world. The seven-time Wimbledon champion has always thrived on grass, and Queen’s Club — a traditional Wimbledon warm-up event — provides the perfect stage for her comeback. Williams has hinted that this could be the start of a limited doubles schedule, with potential plans for more events later in the summer.

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