Serena Williams makes triumphant return to tennis at Queen's Club doubles
via The Namibian3 min read
Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, made a successful return to competitive tennis, partnering with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko to win their first-round doubles match at the Queen's Club. The pair defeated third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 7-6 7/2, 6-2. Williams expressed her enjoyment of the match, stating she had "so much fun" and relished playing at the iconic venue for the first time. Her return, four years after seemingly ending her career, was inspired by a desire to play in front of her children, Olympia and Adira, and husband Alexis Ohanian, who were present courtside. Despite her victory, Williams rated her performance as a "C minus," acknowledging the challenge of returning on grass after a long break. She and Mboko will face Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarter-finals and Williams is also scheduled to play doubles at the Berlin Open. The possibility of her competing at Wimbledon, particularly in doubles, remains a topic of speculation, with Williams stating she is taking it "a day at a time" and has time to decide. Mboko, who was born after Williams had already won seven Grand Slam singles titles, described playing with her idol as a memorable experience and believes Williams will quickly regain her top form.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
Tyson Fury, 37, secured a technical knockout victory over Poland's Mariusz Wach, 46, in Pattaya, Thailand, moving him closer to a potential heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua. The former two-time world heavyweight champion dominated Wach, who was pulled out by his corner in the seventh round of the charity bout. This marks Fury's second win since returning from a 16-month hiatus. Attention now shifts to fellow two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua's upcoming fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, against Albania's Kristian Prenga. Joshua, 36, is expected to win, which would set the stage for a long-anticipated fight with Fury. Despite the anticipation, Fury expressed skepticism about Joshua's willingness to face him, stating, "I'm not convinced." He also dismissed rumors of traveling to Jeddah, opting instead to return home to his family. Joshua's fight against Prenga will be his first professional appearance since a car crash in Nigeria in December that resulted in the deaths of two friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. His last competitive fight was a knockout loss to IBF world champion Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
Tadej Pogacar secured victory in the 19th stage of the Tour de France on Alpe d鈥橦uez, extending his overall lead. He launched his attack with 12km remaining, catching Richard Carapaz and Lenny Martinez within the final two kilometers. Pogacar then surged clear with 800m left, breaking Marco Pantani鈥檚 31-year-old record for the Alpe d鈥橦uez ascent with a time of 35 minutes and 26 seconds. This marks Pogacar's fifth stage victory this year and his first on Alpe d鈥橦uez. He increased his overall lead to over seven minutes ahead of Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel. Martinez finished six seconds behind Pogacar, with Carapaz nine seconds back. Carapaz also claimed the King of the Mountains polkadot jersey by a single point. In an unfortunate incident, a UAE team car was involved in an accident that led to Colombian Einer Rubio's withdrawal from the race after he crashed into the vehicle, which had made an emergency stop due to a fan running across the road.
Nedbank Namibia will host its second Future of Business Conference later this month, bringing together entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry experts. Nedbank spokesperson Selma Kaulinge stated that micro, small, and medium enterprises MSMEs are central to Namibia's economy, serving as key drivers of innovation, employment, and sustainable growth. The conference aims to provide entrepreneurs with insights, practical knowledge, and networking opportunities to help expand their businesses in a changing economic environment. The program will feature presentations from figures such as OL Group chief executive Sven Thieme, Cirrus Capital economist Ida Williams, and Nedbank Group chief marketing officer Khensani Nobanda. Future Media director Stefan Hugo noted that the conference seeks to connect businesses and contribute to long-term economic growth, emphasizing its role as an enabler for the MSME community and a driver of job creation in Namibia.