Serena Williams made a winning return after one year layoff. She strode onto center court in Devonshire Park at Eastbourne to a standing ovation for her first competitive tennis match in almost a year. Serena and Tunisian tennis player, Ons Jabeur came from a set down to beaten their match.
Recovering from losing the first set 6-2, the American- Tunisian pair went onto win the second 6-3. Then winning the match tiebreaker 13-11 on their third match point. The duo beat Spaniard-Czech pair of Sara Sorribes Tormo and Marie Bouzkova 2-6, 6-3, 13-11 in the women’s doubles at the Eastbourne Internationals.
There's that Serena smash 😎@serenawilliams | #RothesayInternational pic.twitter.com/ecuABThuCd
— wta (@WTA) June 21, 2022
Williams is playing in the 2022 Eastbourne Internationals tournament to make herself ready for the English Grand Slam. She will compete at the All England Club, where she is a seven-time singles champion. Serena will make her return to Grand Slam tennis at Wimbledon this month after being given a wildcard entry to the singles.
Serena Williams has not played since injuring herself last year. She has not competed in the tennis circuit since Wimbledon 2021. She withdrew from the tournament as she suffered a hamstring injury to her right leg in her first round match. Her hamstring discomfort kept her off the field for months.
After her win at the Eastbourne Internationals she said, “I caught some fire behind me! I needed that. It was good. We’re just taking it one day at a time.”
Serena Williams praises her tournament partner, Ons Jabeur
Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, was playing for the first time since a tearful exit at Wimbledon last year. She admitted to fearing her career being over after a leg injury at last year’s Wimbledon forced her off tour. Williams saw her ranking drop down to 1,204 in the world.
Williams made a winning comeback with partnering with current world no.3, Ons Jabeur. Appearing in doubles competition on grass for the first time since 2016, when Serena won Wimbledon with her sister Venus. Williams was well short of peak form and Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo twice led by a break at the start of the second set.
Serena on Ons: She’s been playing so well and she’s always been so sweet to me on tour so I thought why not play some doubles together? pic.twitter.com/jYcD8s4Cj0
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) June 21, 2022
At the post match press interview, Serena praised her doubles partner, Ons Jabeur. She said, “It was so fun to play with Ons. We had fun. She’s been playing so well and she’s always been so sweet to me on tour. So I thought why not play some doubles together?”
Fans were on their feet celebrating the comeback win for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion at the Wimbledon warmup event on Sussex sea-side.
