'She hasn’t lost it' - Serena Williams impresses in practice as surprise comeback nears

Williams and Mboko have been handed a tough opening draw in London, where they will face third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.

The American icon is also set to play doubles at the Berlin Open and there is plenty of speculation she will also play Wimbledon at the end of the month.

Fans expressed concerns for Serena Williams' level after her first practice at Queen's was uploaded to YouTube, but her current hitting partner has given a positive update.

British tennis star David Quayle has been enlisted to help Williams return to professional levels following her near-four-year absence from tennis, and is confident the 23-time Grand Slam champion still has what it takes to compete at a high level.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Quayle said: "The practices we have been having have been pretty special. She's not lost it - she's still operating at a very high level. She is just the ultimate professional.

"For me, she's the greatest of all time, and you see that in the way she does things on the court. It's incredible to just be a part of and witness - never mind to actually be learning from her and seeing her as a friend and an opponent."

Williams has made headlines for opting to play with Mboko, a player who is 25 years her junior.

Explaining her decision, Williams said she saw the Canadian star during her maiden Masters run at the Canadian Open last season.

"So I remember seeing her playing, and that's the one she won," said Williams. "Yeah. I was quite impressed with her game; I was impressed with her attitude.

"What I liked the most about her was that the next time she played, she still kept winning," she added. "And so I was like, okay, that's⦠I love that. You know, it reminded me a lot of myself.

"Sometimes you win one and then you have a little bit of a low, which is normal, and that's okay as well, but I loved how she had this drive."

Mboko followed up her Canadian Open triumph by winning the Hong Kong Open three months later. She has reached three WTA Tour finals in 2026, in Strasbourg, Qatar, and Adelaide, but she is yet to win a trophy this season.

She also reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time at this year's Australian Open, bowing out to eventual finalist Aryna Sabalenka.

She made her top 10 debut in 2026, however, and currently sits at World No. 9 in the WTA Tour rankings.

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