Canadian phenom Victoria Mboko is ecstatic about her doubles partner.
The 19-year-old and No. 9-ranked tennis player in the world, is set to take the court with the legendary Serena Williams for her comeback at the Queen’s Club Championships doubles tournament this summer.
“The Queen is back,” Mboko wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of her and Williams this week. “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 returns to the tour at age 44 after “evolving” away from tennis following the 2022 U.S. Open.
Mboko grew up idolizing the 23-time Grand Slam champion and shared that the two connected over the years as Williams has shown support for Mboko’s young career.
“Me and Serena have stayed in touch, which is really, really nice, because you know, I really look up to her. I mean, the fact that she even knows me is very, it’s very exciting,” Mboko said with a laugh at the French Open.
The teen rose to prominence last summer with her first major title at the WTA 1000 in Montreal, collecting wins over Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and then Naomi Osaka. This year, she’s reached finals in Adelaide and Doha as she’s risen meteorically.
There’s a quarter-century age difference between Mboko and Williams. The pair received a wild card to play the tournament, and it will be Mboko’s first appearance at Queen’s Club.
Williams initially stepped away from the sport to focus on growing her family. Her second daughter was born in August 2023. While more known for her illustrious singles career, Williams has also been incredibly successful in doubles, with 14 Slam championships.
Currently ranking No. 132 in doubles, Mboko has a chance to climb even higher — with a legend at her side.
