The 2022 US Open felt final, a night when Serena Williams walked away from professional tennis. Nearly four years later, on Tuesday at Queen’s Club in London, she walked back on the court. Her iconic big serves were back almost instantaneously as fans rejoiced at her return. Her husband, Alex Ohanian, called her return a success as he cheered her comeback on social media.

Serena Williams paired up with Canada’s Victoria Mboko as she returned to competitive tennis after her retirement. They triumphed 7-6(2), 6-2 against the third-seed Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez, with Williams serving out the match and closing it with a signature ace.  Serena responded to the crowd’s enthusiasm whenever a point went her way.

“We had a lot of fun.” During the post-match interview, Mboko said, “There were so many times in the match where we were kind of just like, this could be so much better.”

Ohanian, who was in the stands, posted on social media as the match finished: “What a day! So glad your biggest fans got to see this triumphant return.” The heartfelt admission captured what the crowd inside Queen’s Club had been feeling all afternoon.

After meeting by chance in 2015, Serena and Ohanian started dating in the summer of the same year. The couple exchanged wedding vows a couple of years later in 2017 in a lavish wedding in New Orleans. Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, has been one of the biggest support systems of Serena. The couple shares two children, Alexis Olympia Ohanian and Adira River Ohanian.

Ohanian prides in calling himself Serena’s biggest fan. He attends her matches and cheers for her often. Ohanian made eyeballs roll when he wore the Nike T-shirt that read, “Greatest Female Athlete” (with the word “female” crossed out) to support Serena during her matches at the Australian Open in 2021. From shutting down internet trolls to investing in women’s sports, Ohanian backs Serena in every possible way.

Serena decided to come out of retirement after feeling she could compete at the highest level again. Ohanian supported her decision immediately. She joined an elite company of players like Bjorn Borg, Martina Hingis, and Justine Henin as some of the iconic tennis players to come out of retirement.

The victory on her comeback proved it was not merely a ceremonial lap, as her entire family cheered her from her box. She competed fiercely on big points, demonstrated genuine power on her serve, and gave no indication that she had come to Queen’s Club solely to be appreciated. There was some rust in the rallies, as expected, but the intent was clear from the start. She clearly looked like she was not on the court just to wave goodbye again but to play tennis and compete at the top once again.

Mboko, who is already ranked among the top ten in singles this year, proved to be an ideal partner for Serena. She was young enough to aggressively cover the court and composed enough to hold her nerve when the situation called for it. The balance between them worked, as evidenced by the final score.

Williams and Mboko Set for Stern Quarterfinal Challenge 

Williams and Mboko will next play Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals, a big step up in difficulty. Fernandez is ranked in the Top 30 in singles and is one of the most competitive grass-court players on tour. Siegemund is a seasoned doubles specialist with two Grand Slam doubles titles to her name. If they’re going to advance, Serena will have to be sharper in the second round than she was in the first.

Katie Boulter won in the first round against Leylah Fernandez in front of the home crowd. Fernandez will solely focus on the doubles challenge posed by Serena.

Williams has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles in her career. The grass is her favorite surface, and she possibly knows it better than almost anyone playing today. Whether Queen’s Club marks a comeback or a one-off, Serena is back and competing.