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Emma Raducanu has declared her ambition to compete into her 30s, but doubts that she will emulate Serena Williams' remarkable longevity. Williams and her 19-year-old Canadian doubles partner, Victoria Mboko, secured a 7-6 (2) 6-2 first-round victory over third seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe at the HSBC Championships at Queen's, her first competitive tennis in 1,376 days. Meanwhile, in the women's singles, Raducanu, 23, dispatched Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova in straight sets, conceding just three games. Speaking ahead of the tournament, the British star was questioned about whether she could envisage herself still competing in two decades' time. She said: "I personally don't. But a lot of the players who play until they are older, if you asked them when they were 20, they wouldn't have seen themselves playing into their 40s." On her admiration for Williams, she added: "I think it's an amazing thing. With sports science and how everyone takes care of their bodies, it's much more achievable. I have a lot of respect for anyone who comes back and keeps playing for the duration." A succession of fitness injuries and inconsistent form have prompted widespread speculation over Raducanu's long-term prospects in the sport. Nevertheless, the 2021 US Open champion has previously made clear her desire to continue playing well into her 30s. Speaking in 2022, she said: "I feel like if I set out with a goal when I'm starting to play tennis, I achieve that. Like, once I'm happy, it kind of makes sense to finish on a high, if you know what I mean. I feel like it is personal. "For me, I want to be in the game as long as possible. I'm only 19. I've just come on tour, which is pretty young. Now I think the tour is getting younger. There are a lot of great players who are also young. I want to be in the game till I'm in my 30s. We'll see what happens and how long I can last." Meanwhile, Raducanu was thrilled to kick off her Queen's campaign with such a commanding victory. The British number one conceded just six points to Blinkova across the entire opening set and, despite a more resolute second-set display from the world number 105, sealed the match within the hour. She said: "I think it was a really good stepping stone. And I think the way I was feeling on the court, the way I was moving, the way I was expressing myself, just the whole package, not necessarily the tennis, just how I kind of was acting on the court, I really enjoyed it. "I think that's something that I want to take forward in all of my matches and really embrace this grass court season." Raducanu was looking for a first win since beating Anastasia Zakharova at Indian Wells in March. In May, Raducanu, who has cycled through a steady stream of coaches since winning the US Open, rehired Andrew Richardson, who had guided her to that triumph. She has also suffered from the lingering impact of a post-viral illness, missing two-and-a-half months of action before the French Open, where she lost to Solana Sierra.
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