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How Williams' British hitting partner kept comeback secret
How Serena's British hitting partner kept comeback secret
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How Serena's training partner from Wigan kept her return secret
- Published8 June 2026, 12:00 BST
David Quayle was visiting his parents when his phone rang, and he was asked to fly to Florida to help prepare Serena Williams for a return to professional tennis.
The 26-year-old from Wigan has become an established hitting partner since his playing days on the Futures Tour, and shared a court with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at last year's Wimbledon.
But after fielding that call in May - and once he had finished "pacing around the house in excitement" - he soon realised he would need to keep it a closely guarded secret.
"There was this excitement that she was going to play Queen's, but no-one knew yet," Quayle told BBC Sport.
"I didn't tell anyone, [no-one] except my family knew where I was going.
"It was quite exciting to be in on this little secret that you knew when the tennis world hears it would be huge news."
Quayle practised with Williams for just over a week on a hard court at one of her Floridian properties. He stayed nearby with Jarmere Jenkins, who once served as the 44-year-old's hitting partner, but will now coach her in conjunction with Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs.
When Jenkins first called to invite Quayle to Florida, the Briton told him he had met Williams when he was a teenager.
In fact, he had spent the best part of a month training with her at the Mouratoglou Academy in France in the lead up to the 2018 French Open, where Williams made her Grand Slam return after maternity leave.
"Send me the photos," Jenkins told him, and promised to show them to Williams to see if she remembered - which Quayle thinks she did "a little bit".
The sessions in Florida were a success and Quayle was hired as Williams' hitting partner for her trip to Queen's, which at the time was still a secret.
This week, the Briton will be in Williams' support box as she partners Victoria Mboko - another player he has hit with at tournaments - against third seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe in the first round of the doubles.
David Quayle (right) travelled to Florida to train with Serena Williams in May
The recent wet weather in London has prevented much practice on grass, so Quayle has been helping to source indoor courts at venues like the Hurlingham Club and the National Tennis Centre.
"The practices we have been having have been pretty special," Quayle continued.
"She's not lost it - she's still operating at a very high level. She is just the ultimate professional.
"For me, she's the greatest of all time, and you see that in the way she does things on the court.
"It's incredible to just be a part of and witness - never mind to actually be learning from her and seeing her as a friend and an opponent."
Despite being a well-established hitting partner on the professional tour - and with a job already lined up at Wimbledon - Quayle says his first few practice sessions with the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made him "a little bit nervous".
"It's a funny thing to see someone that you have watched their serve on TV for so many years, and then all of a sudden that serve is coming at you," he explained.
"You're fighting between admiring some of the shots and actually playing them. She's got that kind of aura and it's hard sometimes not to feel a little bit nervous.
"I'm starting to getting a little bit more used to seeing her over the other side of the net, but every day is special."
Quayle, who would one day like to move into coaching, is encouraged to speak up if he has observations about the way Williams is training.
He praised the environment around her, saying the team are "easy to get along with".
"She's got a lot going on off the court so we don't spend a lot of time outside of the gym or the practice court, but when we're together, she's so nice," Quayle said.
"She's so welcoming. We're always cracking jokes and we've got a similar sense of humour.
"Everyone in that team makes it such a nice environment for everyone."
Quayle has been asked to head on to Berlin next week, where Williams will play the second tournament of her comeback with a partner yet to be announced.
He says he does not yet know whether his boss will be playing at Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, 29 June, but he is at least relieved he no longer needs to be quite so vague to friends about his movements.
"I feel like I can breathe and relax a little now the secret is out there," he added.