Serena Williams handed mixed news for her first match back in tennis at Queen’s

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Serena Williams is just about to make a dramatic return to tennis at Queen’s, almost four years since her last appearance.

Williams is making her comeback in doubles at the WTA 500 tournament, which will get underway imminently.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion will play at the event alongside Victoria Mboko, who is currently ranked ninth on the WTA Tour.

And Williams has now been handed mixed news for her comeback, with the draw for the Queen’s tournament having just been confirmed.

Realistically, how far do you expect Serena Williams to go at Wimbledon if she plays?

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Serena Williams handed mixed news as Queen’s draw confirmed

Superstar duo Williams and Mboko have a tough opening match at Queen’s, where they will take on Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe.

They are the third seeds at the event, and each boast a superb doubles career.

Routliffe is a former doubles number one and has claimed two Grand Slam doubles titles, both with Gabriela Dabrowski.

Meanwhile, Melichar-Martinez is a 19-time WTA doubles winner, and won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2018.

However, significantly for Williams and Mboko, Routliffe and Melichar-Martinez are playing an event together for the first time.

So while their fantastic doubles careers should be a concern for Williams, she can take confidence from their first tournament appearance, with potential for a mistake or two given their lack of experience together.

Serena Williams’ doubles record ahead of Queen’s comeback

Of course, Williams can also look to her own stunning doubles record as she looks to immediately hit the ground running.

The American also reached number one in the doubles rankings, and has claimed a huge 23 titles in the format.

Williams is a 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion, all of which arrived with her sister Venus Williams, while she has claimed two mixed doubles titles with Max Mirnyi.

She enters the Queen’s doubles draw with 192 wins and 35 losses in the format, and will be desperate to add to the former tally alongside Mboko.

Should they win their opener, they will meet the winner of the match between Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund, and Alexandra Panova and Demi Schuurs.