Judy Murray spotted something during Serena Williams’ return match which she ‘absolutely loved’
Serena Williams’ first match in nearly four years could not have gone better, as she and Victoria Mboko when her first round match at Queen’s.
Williams and Mboko were rarely troubled as they toppled third seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe by a scoreline of 7-6, 6-2.
In front of a packed-out Queen’s Club Championships, Williams showed real signs that she could return to the type of tennis that saw her dominate the WTA Tour for decades.
Judy Murray, who was watching Williams’ return match with an eagle eye, was incredibly impressed by the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s level in her first competitive match since the 2022 US Open.
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In an interview with Sky Sports, Murray said: “I’m not sure anyone expected her to come back when she retired back in 2022. She had her two children now, but she’s been playing a load. She’s obviously got herself back into shape and she’s fit and ready to compete again.
“I’m guessing she probably missed it a lot. I saw a clip where she said ti was really important to her that her kids saw her play so they knew who she was and what she did.”
Murray loved seeing Williams’ family in the crowd at Queen’s and believed that could give the star a big boost during her return to the sport.
“I absolutely love the fact that her husband and her kids were court side and they greeted her when she came off. She showed that she’s still playing at a remarkably high level, playing doubles with Victoria Mboko at Queen’s and winning her first match.
“[There was] huge crowd support and huge fan base behind her so it’s great,” she said. “Another mum coming back into the game successfully. Brilliant!”
The likes of Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina have flourished after re-joining the WTA Tour after becoming a mother, and Williams looks like she could join them.
Murray knows all about Williams’ doubles game as she once paired with Andy Murray during a memorable Wimbledon mixed doubles run in 2019.
The legendary pair won two games at the Grand Slam, defeating Alexa Guarachi and Andreas Mies and Raquel Atawo and Fabrice Martin in their opening matches.
They were eventually defeated by Melichar-Martinez and Bruno Soares in the round of 16, but they were one of the talking points of the entire Grand Slam in 2019.
Following her stint at Queen’s, Williams will next appear in the doubles draw of the Berlin Open. It is unclear who she will be paired with, but there are reports that Williams wants to play with Coco Gauff.
