Victoria Mboko withdraws from Queen’s doubles with Serena Williams after injuring left knee

Victoria Mboko, the 19-year-old Canadian singles world No. 9, withdrew from her doubles quarterfinal with Serena Williams at Queen’s Club on Thursday after injuring her left knee during her singles match against Karolína Plíšková on Wednesday. Mboko collapsed on the baseline while trailing Plíšková 4-3 in the second set, clutching her knee before retiring from the match. A tournament statement later confirmed the injury as the reason for her withdrawal. The pair had advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez on Tuesday, Williams’ first match in nearly four years. Mboko’s injury occurred during a match where she was already struggling, having lost the first set to Plíšková. She described the sensation as having ‘no stability’ in her left knee, a recurring issue for her, including a tendon tear in 2022 during her junior career. Williams, who had expressed openness to returning to singles competition, will now play doubles at next week’s Berlin Open before a potential return at Wimbledon, which begins June 29. Mboko, who rose into the WTA top 10 after winning the Canadian Open last year and reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, will focus on recovery ahead of the Grand Slam event. Plíšková, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist, will advance to the singles quarterfinals on Friday, facing either Marie Bouzková or Donna Vekić. Williams, meanwhile, has indicated flexibility in her return, stating that she is open to playing singles if the opportunity arises, though her immediate focus remains on doubles.