Serena Williams will make her eagerly anticipated return to professional tennis playing doubles alongside a partner who is 25 years younger.
Victoria Mboko, the 19-year-old Canadian ranked No. 9, revealed Thursday that she would have the "honor" of playing with the 44-year-old Williams as wild-card entries at the Queen's Club next week.
They practiced on the grass courts in west London on Thursday, with Williams seen hitting balls.
"The Queen is back," Mboko wrote in an Instagram post alongside a picture of her standing next to Williams. "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."
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, stepped away from tennis in 2022. She has yet to say whether she plans to play at Wimbledon or the US Open in 2026. Wimbledon begins June 28.
Speaking at the French Open last week, Mboko said of Williams: "I really look up to her. I mean, the fact that she even knows me is very exciting."
Williams has won 14 major doubles titles alongside sister Venus and is the only player to record a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.
"Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter," Serena Williams said in an announcement Monday from the tournament. "Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I'm excited to be back competing on one of the sport's most iconic stages."
Williams has earned over $94 million in prize money throughout her career and is believed to be the highest-paid female athlete of all time.
Information from ESPN's D'Arcy Maine and The Associated Press was used in this report.
