Serena Williams of the United States, left, practices with her doubles partner Victoria Mboko of Canada, at Queen's Club, in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
By The Canadian Press

Canada’s Victoria Mboko excited to play with and learn from Serena Williams

Jun 7, 2026 | 12:29 PM

LONDON — There were rumours swirling, but Victoria Mboko had no idea what would come of Serena Williams’ comeback.

Until Williams reached out to Mboko in May during a run to the women’s singles final of the Strasbourg International tennis tournament in France.

“Serena messaged me when I was playing in Strasbourg if I wanted to play doubles here,” the 19-year-old Canadian told reporters ahead of their first match at the Queen’s Club Championships. “And I mean, I wasn’t partnered up with anyone at the time.

“I was just like, ‘yeah, sure, why not?’ That’s pretty cool. I heard rumours of her coming back, but I never really knew. I never knew the details of what she wanted to do. But yeah, it’s really exciting to play with her and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, will be making her return after a four-year absence at 44 years old when she teams up with Mboko on Tuesday in women’s doubles action. The duo is set to face third-seeded Erin Routliffe of New Zealand and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States.

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Williams bid farewell after the 2022 U.S. Open, avoiding the word retiring at the time and instead saying she was “evolving” away from tennis.

Williams said Mboko caught her attention at last year’s National Bank Open, where the Canadian was victorious with an impressive string of wins.

“So I remember seeing her play (in Montreal) and that’s the one she won,” Williams said. “I was quite impressed with her game. I was impressed with her attitude. What I liked the most about her was that the next time she played, she still kept winning.

“And so I was like, ‘OK, I love that.’ It reminded me a lot of myself. Sometimes you win one and then you have a little bit of a low, which is normal and that’s OK as well. But I loved how she had this drive. And so I’ve seen her play doubles a little bit here and there. And it was kind of hard, because it was such a decision and it wasn’t a last minute decision, but it was a last-minute commitment.”

Mboko, who will be competing at the tournament for the first time is also taking it as a learning experience.

“Growing up, Serena has always been my idol in a way,” she said. “Just remember watching her on TV and live so many times. And her being here and watching her and I feel like learning from her in this kind of aspect is really great for me.

“We’ll be sharing the tennis court in a competitive environment. So I feel like I can kind of give into the way she thinks on the court and how she plays. So I feel like there’s a lot I could learn.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

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