Serena Williams’ comeback win leaves fans excited while her ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou spots one possible roadblock

Serena Williams made a winning return to professional tennis at the 2026 Queen’s Club Championships, but one person who knows her game better than almost anyone believes there is still one big question hanging over her comeback.

After Serena Williams and Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko beat third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 7-6(2), 6-2 in the first round of women’s doubles, former coach Patrick Mouratoglou shared his thoughts on what could decide how far the American can go.The 44-year-old looked sharp during her first competitive match back, showing many of the skills that helped her become one of the greatest players in tennis history.

Still, Mouratoglou believes the real test is not her shots but how well she moves around the court. His comments quickly caught attention because he coached Williams during one of the most successful periods of her career, helping her win 10 Grand Slam singles titles.

Patrick Mouratoglou explains Serena Williams’ biggest challenge at age 44

Speaking in a video posted on social media, Patrick Mouratoglou said movement will be the most important thing to watch if Serena Williams wants to compete at a high level again, especially in singles matches.

“Serena is back. Here are the challenges that she’ll have to face. The tricky part to me is always the movement. Tennis and movement, they are linked together. I always say the best players in the world are the best movers. You don’t lose your tennis. So I know Serena will come back with the same serve, the same forehand, the same backhand, everything the same.”

He then pointed to her age and life away from the court as factors that could affect her game.“The question is, because she’s 44, she had two children, will she be able to move at the same pace in order to be as aggressive as she wants, in order to defend when she needs to?”

Serena Williams’ Queen’s Club run ends after Victoria Mboko withdrawal

While Williams’ comeback started with a victory, her Queen’s Club campaign ended sooner than expected. She and Victoria Mboko were due to face Laura Siegemund and Leylah Fernandez in the second round. However, Mboko withdrew from the tournament because of a knee injury.The Canadian suffered the injury during her second-round singles match against Karolina Pliskova. Mboko was leading when she slipped and hurt herself. She could not continue and later pulled out of the tournament completely.Despite the setback, Mouratoglou remains positive about Williams’ future. He believes regular doubles matches will help her improve her movement and match fitness.“In doubles, you don’t really see that. So I don’t think we have to monitor anything. Maybe at the start it’s going to be difficult, but the more she’s going to play doubles, the better she’s going to be. I’m not worried.”Williams is next expected to play at the WTA 500 event in Berlin. Reports have also linked her with a possible wildcard entry into this year’s Wimbledon Championships.