Tennis loves a drama. Serena Williams’ highly anticipated return to the court just hit a massive, unexpected speed bump, and she didn’t even have to swing a racket to suffer the blow. Just a day after a triumphant opening doubles match at the HSBC Championships, the comeback train has derailed.
It happened Wednesday. Victoria Mboko, Williams’ doubles partner, took a nasty spill during her singles match against Karolina Pliskova. She couldn’t finish. The Canadian was forced to retire, leaving her own singles run in tatters and throwing a massive wrench into Williams’ immediate plans.
The duo looked sharp on Tuesday. They dispatched Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez with relative ease, booking a slot for Thursday’s follow-up. Now? Nobody knows. With Mboko sidelined, that Thursday match is a giant question mark, proving once again that in professional sports, momentum is a fragile illusion.
