LONDON – In a heartbreaking turn of events, Canada’s Victoria Mboko had to withdraw from her opening match at the HSBC Championships on Wednesday due to a knee injury sustained during the second set.
Seeded third at The Queen’s Club in West London, Mboko faced a challenging situation when she slipped behind the baseline while taking on former world No. 1, Karolina Pliskova from Czechia, clutching her left knee in distress.
The 19-year-old athlete from Burlington, Ontario, dropped the first set 6-2 and was leading 4-3 in the second, aiming to break Pliskova’s serve at deuce.
Though she managed to rise independently, she confided in a physiotherapist, admitting, “I feel no stability right now.”
With a heavy heart, she gingerly made her way to the bench, covering her face with a towel as she took a seat. Moments later, she made the difficult decision to retire from the match.
This marked Mboko’s inaugural singles match on grass for the season.
“I thought we played a solid match today, and she was clearly getting better as it progressed,” Pliskova remarked after the match. “I truly wish her all the best, and this isn’t how we want to win. I hope she recovers in time for Wimbledon.”
The injury raises concerns about Mboko’s availability for the remainder of the short grass season, which includes the prestigious Wimbledon event in just three weeks, as well as her doubles partnership with tennis icon Serena Williams at Queen’s Club.
In a remarkable comeback, the 44-year-old Williams returned to competitive tennis after nearly four years on Tuesday, teaming up with Mboko to secure a 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory against New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez from the USA.
The duo was poised to take on Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Quebec, and Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals on Thursday at the WTA 500 event.
Earlier, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani showcased their strong form, winning 6-3, 6-2 against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova and Japan’s Miyu Kato.
Dabrowski and Stefani are fresh off a successful clay season that saw them clinch the Strasbourg International title and reach the semifinals of the French Open.
The second-seeded pair is set to face American duo McCartney Kessler and Iva Jovic in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
— With contributions from The Associated Press
