Serena Williams' return to professional tennis is off to a strong start.

Williams and her doubles partner, 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, defeated the No. 3-seeded team of Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 7-6, 6-2 at the HSBC Championships in London.

The match marked Williams' first appearance in professional tennis since the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion said she was "evolving" away from the sport.

Earlier this month, Williams made a surprise announcement that she would return to the WTA Tour to compete in doubles. While she has not ruled out a return to singles competition, Williams said she would like more time to train before making that decision.

Williams said part of her motivation for returning is giving her children the chance to watch her compete. She has two daughters, Olympia and Adira. Williams was pregnant with Olympia when she won her most recent Grand Slam singles title at the 2017 Australian Open. She welcomed Adira in 2023.