Karolina Pliskova advanced to the quarterfinals of the HSBC Championships, at Queen’s Club, this Wednesday (10), after Canadian Victoria Mboko abandoned the match due to an injury to her left knee. The Czech was leading 6-2, 3-4 when the 19-year-old suffered a hard fall on the grass while trying to reach a forehand.
Mboko slipped while chasing the ball, grabbed his knee immediately and was unable to continue. The abandonment occurred before the next point, ending the match early.
The Canadian, seeded number 3, experienced a bittersweet moment in the tournament. Just a day earlier, she had paired with Serena Williams in her doubles debut. The partnership beat No. 3 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe, marking Williams’ return after more than three years. Now, the injury puts their continuation in the doubles quarterfinals and Mboko’s preparation for Wimbledon, which starts at the end of June, in doubt.
“I think we played a good game today. She was improving throughout the match, so it would have been a good match, but I only wish the best for her,” Pliskova commented in an on-court interview. “Obviously that’s not how we want to win, so I hope she’ll be fine for Wimbledon.” The Czech even went to the net to check her opponent’s condition and handed her a towel.
Pliskova’s positive return
For Pliskova, the victory represents another solid step in her comeback season. She dominated the first set with 83% of first serve points and maintained good performance in the second. In total, he came away with 18 winners against 16 unforced errors.
This is the third time that Pliskova has reached the quarter-finals in 2026, after stints in the round of 16 in Linz and Madrid. With the result, the former world number 1, who started the year outside the Top 1000 after injuries, should return to the Top 100 in the next ranking update. It is also the second victory against Top 10 this season, both due to the opponent’s abandonment.
First WTA retirement for Mboko
The incident marks the first retirement of Mboko’s career on the WTA main circuit. The other two retreats took place at ITF events last year. The young Canadian was in good shape and was one of the promises of the tournament on grass.
