Serena Williams had her return to the tennis court cut short Thursday morning after her doubles partner, Victoria Mboko, had to pull out of the HSBC Championships with a knee injury.

The pair looked sharp on Tuesday, locking in a straight-sets win at the Queen’s Club in what was Williams' first competitive match since the 2022 U.S. Open. The momentum stopped during Wednesday's singles matches when Mboko slipped and landed awkwardly during her match against Karolina Pliskova. The 19-year-old Canadian had to retire from that match, and tournament organizers later confirmed the left knee injury would keep her out of the doubles bracket as well.

Williams and Mboko were scheduled for a quarterfinal matchup Thursday against Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund. With the withdrawal, Fernandez and Siegemund move on to the next round via a walkover.

The 44-year-old Williams is still planning to take the court next week at the Berlin Open. As for what happens after that, her plans for the rest of the summer—including a potential trip back to Wimbledon—are still up in the air.

After Tuesday’s opening victory, Williams told reporters on court that she is just taking things one day at a time but was happy to be back out there competing.

She joked that she got tired of sitting around at home while her kids were out of school for the summer and figured it was the perfect time to play. Williams also noted how special it felt to compete at the Queen's Club, a historic venue that had traditionally hosted only men's tournament matches.