Victoria Mboko will not defend her title at the Canadian Open 2026. The World No. 10 announced her withdrawal on Instagram Tuesday, citing a lingering left knee MCL injury.

Queen's Club Injury Continues to Sideline Mboko

Mboko sustained the injury last month at Queen's Club after slipping on the grass during a match against Karolina Pliskova. That fall ended her grass-court season, and her planned doubles run at the HSBC Championships with Serena Williams. Now, the setback will keep her out of the entire North American hard-court swing.

The National Bank Open, which runs August 2nd through August 13th, holds special meaning for the Toronto native.

"Knowing that I won't be able to play this year, it's very saddening," Mboko said. "But I feel like I have so many more years ahead of me to play this tournament."

Mboko's WTA Rankings Rise Halted

Her disappointment is understandable given her rapid climb in the WTA rankings.

Last summer in Montreal, the then-18-year-old entered as a wild-card ranked No. 85. She defeated four Grand Slam champions in Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka to capture her first career title. That run propelled her into the Top 10 by February, and she has since reached three singles finals in 2026.

Though MCL injury pauses her momentum, Mboko promised her hometown fans she will return stronger.

Serena Williams saw her Queen's Club doubles run end Thursday, after partner Victoria Mboko withdrew from the tournament with a knee injury. The 23-time Grand Slam champion had returned to competitive tennis just two days earlier at the 2026 HSBC Championships.

On Tuesday, Williams paired with the 19-year-old Canadian for her first competitive match in four years.

Together, they defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe in straight sets in front of a packed London crowd. The win set up a quarterfinal meeting with Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund.

However, the quarterfinal won't be taking place.

Mboko Withdraws from Williams Partnership with Knee Injury

Victoria Mboko slipped on the grass during her Wednesday singles match debut against Karolina Plíšková and injured her left knee. Citing a lack of stability, Mboko subsequently exited the Queen's Club grass court.

The world No. 9 was unable to recover in time for today's doubles commitment, forcing her to withdraw just hours before the scheduled match with Serena Williams.

Still, Williams's comeback tour continues. She heads to the Berlin Open next week to resume her doubles campaign alongside Karolina Muchova.

Mboko, meanwhile, will look to bounce back before opening her Wimbledon singles campaign later this month.

Victoria Mboko withdrew from her first-round singles match at the 2026 HSBC Championships on Wednesday, after the 19-year-old Canadian slipped and fell while trailing Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 3-4 on grass.

Mboko reportedly told her physiotherapist she had "no stability" after the fall, limping back to her bench and putting a towel to her face. Despite taking an immediate medical timeout, the tournament's No. 3 seed could not continue her grass-court singles debut at London's Queen's Club.

Mboko Injury Looms Over Doubles Run with Serena Williams

The setback now puts the world No. 9's doubles partnership with Serena Williams in doubt.

Williams, 44, returned to competitive tennis at Queen's Club after nearly four years away from the WTA Tour. Her last professional match came at the 2022 US Open.

On Tuesday, the pair opened with a straight-sets win over third-seeded Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez, 7-6(2), 6-2. They are next scheduled to face Canada's Leylah Fernandez and Germany's Laura Siegemund in Thursday's quarterfinals.

Whether Mboko can recover in time will determine if the partnership continues in the WTA 500 event.

Serena Williams is back in the winner’s column, as the US tennis icon made a triumphant return to the court in Tuesday’s 7-6, 6-2 doubles victory alongside partner Victoria Mboko.

Playing in her first pro match since 2022, wildcard entry Williams and singles world No. 9 Mboko won a tricky first set against No. 3 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe before comfortably taking the second.

“I was nervous, but I didn’t really think about it,” Williams said postmatch. “I just thought about having fun, which I did.”

The 44-year-old hasn’t confirmed her plans beyond this week’s HSBC Championships, opting instead to stay focused on Thursday’s quarterfinal.

“I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?” Williams told reporters. “I never got to play here, it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic.”

Serena Williams drew a tough first-round opponent for her Queen's Club doubles comeback.

She and 19-year-old partner Victoria Mboko will open against No. 3 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe at the HSBC Championships. The match is set for June 9th in London.

Williams & Mboko Gear Up for Queen's Club Doubles Opener

Routliffe holds two Grand Slam doubles titles, while Melichar-Martinez has 19 WTA doubles trophies. But the seeded pair has never played a competitive match together.

Melichar-Martinez had planned to partner with Cristina Bucsa. However, she withdrew late with an injury. Routliffe, meanwhile, has teamed with several partners in 2026, including Jelena Ostapenko. And that late shuffle could work in Williams and Mboko's favor.

For Williams, the match marks a return to competitive play after stepping away from the sport in 2022, and she's chosen a partner already making a name on tour. Mboko has had strong showings at her last few WTA tournaments, including a finals appearance at the 2026 Strasbourg Open.

The pairing blends Williams's Grand Slam experience with the Canadian's recent form on clay and grass.

Still, Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe should give the newly formed duo stiff competition when they meet in the opening round.

How to Watch Serena Williams at the 2026 HSBC Championships

The Queen's Club runs through June 14th, with live coverage on The Tennis Channel.

Serena Williams will continue her tennis comeback at the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open, adding the German WTA 500 event to her doubles schedule.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion will join the 16-team doubles draw, naming her partner in the coming weeks.

Williams's grass-court addition follows a June 8th wildcard entry at Queen's Club, where she'll team up with world No. 9 Victoria Mboko.

"Every tournament I add to my schedule right now feels special, and Berlin is no exception," Williams told reporters. "I'm excited to compete in front of the German fans and continue building momentum throughout the grass-court season."

The 44-year-old announced her return on Monday, after nearly four years away from professional tennis. The 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion brings star power to an already-stacked Berlin field.

"I didn't think that our world-class field featuring nine Top 10 players could be topped," said Berlin Open Director of Excitement Andrea Petkovic. "But welcoming Serena Williams to Berlin is pure excitement. It doesn't get any better than that!"

Williams last played at Steffi-Graf-Stadion in 2008, where she reached the quarterfinals but lost to Dinara Safina in three sets.

"It might be a unique opportunity to see Serena Williams on the court in Berlin again," said tournament director Markus Zoecke. "We are immensely looking forward to her and her matches."

Where to Watch Serena Williams at the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open

The 2026 Berlin Tennis Open starts June 15th, with live coverage on The Tennis Channel.

A legend is returning to the court, as Serena Williams officially accepted a wild-card doubles entry to the 2026 HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club alongside world No. 9 Victoria Mboko.

Williams confirmed the rumors via a teaser video showing her phone chiming as she walked across a tennis court, ending with the message “guess everybody heard the news.”

“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said in a statement. “I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”

The 44-year-old hasn’t played professionally since the 2022 US Open, after stepping away from the WTA Tour while intentionally avoiding the word “retirement.”

Williams won 23 career Grand Slams — a women’s tennis record in the Open era — and 73 singles titles to total an estimated $94 million in prize money.

While she hasn’t announced plans beyond next week’s competition, the grass-court WTA 500 event provides an ideal warmup for Wimbledon — historically her best major tournament.

The 2026 HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club starts Monday, with official draws set to drop on Friday.

World No. 9 Victoria Mboko secured a spot in her first career WTA clay-court semifinal on Thursday.

The top seed defeated fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4 in a highly anticipated quarterfinal matchup at the 2026 Strasbourg Open.

Mboko took control from the opening baseline rallies, dictating the pace to claim five consecutive games. Her powerful backhand produced 13 winners in the opening set alone.

Fernandez responded with resilience, saving six set points to narrow the gap to 5-4. But Mboko remained composed, serving out the set on her seventh opportunity.

Jorge Fernandez Incident Overshadows Strasbourg Quarterfinal

Following the opening set loss, a courtside hot mic captured Fernandez's father and coach, Jorge Fernandez, delivering a critical lecture.

He aggressively questioned his daughter’s commitment and compared her recent form to Mboko's steady rise, sparking backlash from tennis fans.

The second set began similarly. Mboko immediately broke the seventh seed to secure a 2-0 advantage.

Fernandez struggled with her serve throughout the afternoon, committing eight costly double faults and two consecutive double faults that gave Mboko an early break. Fernandez fought back, recovering one break. However, she couldn't completely close the deficit.

Mboko won 82.1% of her first-serve points to shut down any comeback attempts. She sealed the match in just over 90 minutes with a decisive backhand winner down the line.

Mboko now holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against Fernandez. She goes to face world No. 33 Jaqueline Cristian in Friday's semifinal.

Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez will face off in an all-Canadian quarterfinal on Thursday at the 2026 Strasbourg Open. 

The top-seeded Mboko and seventh-seeded Fernandez both secured hard-fought, second-round victories on Tuesday to advance to the final eight.

Mboko secured her first clay-court victory of the season by defeating French wild card Lois Boisson. The 19-year-old from Burlington, Ontario, won the match 6-4, 6-3 breaking her opponent late in both sets while winning 71% of her first-serve points. 

The result comes after a series of health setbacks that plagued Mboko at the beginning of the year. 

Earlier in the day, her countrywoman, Fernandez, endured a physical baseline battle against Poland's Magdalena Frech. The 23-year-old former US Open finalist utilized creative drop shots to disrupt Frech’s defense.

She built a commanding 5-1 lead in the deciding set, but Frech mounted a late comeback to close the gap. Fernandez held on to secure the win 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in two hours and 48 minutes.

Strasbourg Open Quarterfinals Offer Key French Open Preview 

This upcoming match marks the second career meeting between Canada's top women's tennis athletes.

Mboko won the pair's previous encounter in three sets during last year's Hong Kong Open semifinals. Both athletes are using the clay-court tournament to prepare for the French Open, which begins this Sunday.

How to Watch Mboko vs Fernandez at Strasbourg Open 2026

The all-Canadian Strasbourg Open quarterfinal starts tomorrow at 11:30 AM ET, live on The Tennis Channel.

Four of the world's Top 5 players are still kicking in California, as tennis's elite advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ousted No. 16 Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4 in their Round of 16 match on Tuesday, while No. 2 Iga Świątek, No. 3 Elena Rybakina, and No. 5 Jessica Pegula also reached the final field of eight players — seven of whom advanced in straight sets this week.

"Had to turn the tables today," Pegula said with a smile after defeating No. 12 Belinda Bencic 6-3, 7-6(5) on Wednesday — the 32-year-old's first win over the Swiss standout in the pair's fifth-career meeting. "Nobody beats me five times in a row."

Pegula might be the only US player left, but North America is well represented by 19-year-old Canadian No. 10 Victoria Mboko, whose quick ascent up the WTA rankings earned her a quarterfinal matchup against top-dog Sabalenka.

"I'm experiencing a lot of things for the first time," Mboko said after cruising to a 6-4, 6-1 win over US star No. 6 Amanda Anisimova in Tuesday's Round of 16 action. "To be out here playing Top 10 players, playing top of the world, it's really a privilege."

How to watch the 2026 Indian Wells Open quarterfinals

Thursday's Indian Wells quarterfinals kick off with No. 1 Sabalenka vs. No. 10 Mboko at 2 PM ET before No. 14 Linda Nosková takes on unseeded Australian and No. 112-ranked Talia Gibson at 4 PM ET.

No. 2 Świątek will contend with No. 9 Elina Svitolina at 5:30 PM ET, with a Top 5 matchup between No. 5 Pegula and No. 3 Rybakina closing out the quarterfinals at 8 PM ET.

Live coverage of all four matches will air on the Tennis Channel.