Victoria Mboko pulls out of doubles with Serena Williams at Queen's following knee injury

Friday, 12 June 2026 at 01:35

Mboko sitting on the bench receiving treatment for her injury.

After sustaining a heavy fall and damaging her knee in in her singles match at Queen's Club Championships, Victoria Mboko has been forced to pull out of the doubles, leaving Serena Williams' comeback to the sport halted for the time being.

Williams took the tennis world by storm after making her intentions clear to return. The 23-time Grand Slam champion chose Queen's as the location to mark this significant comeback, partnering the young talent Mboko in the doubles on grass.

They were hugely impressive in their opening match with any doubt over Williams class diminished. The duo dumped out the third seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6(2), 6-2 as they booked their spots in the quarter-finals.

A fiery and entertaining matchup between Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund was next in store, but that will not occur.

Victoria Mboko and Serena Williams smiling together

Victoria Mboko and Serena Williams played doubles together at Queen's

Fears for Mboko grow as she withdraws from doubles

Mboko opened her singles account against former Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova. The Czech raced out in front on a surface that she hugely favours. The former world number one utilised her big serve to limit opportunities for Mboko, winning the first set 6-2 as the Canadian failed to find an answer.

She improved in the second set, failing to take four break points. Three of them were in the eighth, and subsequently final game of the contest. As it went to deuce, Mboko slipped and tumbled to the ground in a painful manner, hurting her left knee.

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She was forced to pull out, leaving the court in tears with concern over how bad the injury is. Pliskova marches on and will take on the winner of Marie Bouzkova and Donna Vekic.

However, the news is circling around Mboko and Williams. While the 19-year-old hopes that her chances at competing in Wimbledon and beyond are not impacted, the short terms damage means that she will be unable to partner Williams once more on court, thus withdrawing from the doubles.

Williams will now turn her attention to the Berlin Open where Karolina Muchova will partner on the doubles court as she prolongs her comeback to tennis.

Wishing Vicky all the best in her recovery 🫶 pic.twitter.com/XKuiLIsR9c
— HSBC Championships (@QueensTennis) June 11, 2026

Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist

Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.

Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.

He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.

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