Serena Williams wins on return at Queen’s after nearly four years away from tennis

Serena Williams rolled back the years with a winning performance at Queen’s in her return to tennis after 1,375 days away from the sport.

The hottest ticket fans in town packed Andy Murray Arena on Tuesday night to watch one of the greatest players of all time return to action.

Playing doubles with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, the 44-year-old American did not look out of place as the pair won 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to edge out third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said in his post-match interview. “I had a lot of fun playing with Victoria. She really managed to keep the team going and play big in important moments. I could trust her. We had never played together, but it felt very natural.”

When asked why he returned, he added: “I had nothing better to do, I was tired of sitting at home. My children do not go to school in the summer, why not?

“I’ve never had the opportunity to play here, it’s always been just men. It’s a really special feeling to play in such an iconic place.”