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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Venus WIlliams returns to play after a 16-month absence (and only rare appearances in previous years) go, Venus Williams’s victory in her first-round doubles match at the Mubadala Citi DC Open Monday couldn’t have gone much better.

Without reading their minds, you have to think it was a bucket-list moment for the two local gals on court as well – 23-year-old Hailey Baptiste, who grew up just down the street, and 19-year-old Washington native Clervie Ngounoue.

Baptiste got seniority in this one, paired with Venus against Ngounoue and Canadian Genie Bouchard, who is retiring this coming week in Montreal.

And the Williams-Baptiste duo killed it, winning 6-3, 6-1 and moving on to the quarterfinals.

“For me, it’s a dream come true, you know. It’s something I probably didn’t expect to happen in my career. So to have the opportunity is just really amazing for me,” Baptiste said. “To be able to share the court with her, even if I was playing against her, would have been amazing. But to actually be able to team up with her and get a win, I mean, no words.”

“The Blackest tournament on Tour”

Here’s what it looked like. A lot of great moments – and poor Bouchard got the brunt of it a bit at the net as first Williams, then Baptiste, showed no mercy.

One of the best elements of the Citi Open, reflecting the community it serves, is that it’s one of the few tournaments all year that isn’t 90-95% pasty white folks.

It’s as diverse as you’ll find. And the Black players enjoy huge support here, famous or less famous, that they just don’t get anywhere else. Just because.

Williams has had a long relationship with this city, going back to the days when she played Team Tennis for the Washington Kastles (which were owned, as this tournament is, by businessman Mark Ein).

And for the two local women to be on there as well, with the John Harris Court packed to the rafters with brave souls in the heat, is a singular moment that you would never find anywhere else.

“Today we got to see three African Americans on the court. So it’s amazing that now African American girls know they can play tennis, that that’s an option – an opportunity for them to be out there too on the court in whatever capacity,” Williams said. Whether you get to the pros, whether you play college, or whether you just learn from the sport.”

Baptiste understood the moment as well.

“Yeah, obviously D.C. is probably the Blackest tournament on tour. It’s great to be able to come out here and be an inspiration for more girls like me and younger than me,” she said. “This is exactly where I watched my first professional match and got the inspiration to turn pro. It’s incredible.”

The crowd also included NBA superstar Kevin Durant, which Baptiste noticed (hearing the kids yell out “KD! KD!” was the giveaway), but Williams didn’t.

“The crowd was insane. From the moment we stepped out of the players area, you could kind of feel the buzz. Walking onto the court, just felt all the love for the both of us. I was obviously very nervous to play with her. I didn’t want to let her down first match back and everything. But we got our rhythm, and it was just great from there,” Baptiste said.

Now, for singles

Williams gradually picked up her rhythm on the ball during this match.

But doubles doesn’t require much movement; so she could focus on the ballstriking.

On the practice court on Sunday morning, the moving was a bit of a struggle.

“Just like normal” for Venus Williams in D.C. – except … not

It will be quite different on Tuesday night, when she returns to singles in a late-evening match against fellow American Peyton Stearns, who is barely half her age.

Stearns is also an excellent ball striker and a terrific athlete who is on the rise after a standout college career.

As much as the crowd will be pulling for Williams, it’s going to be a tall order.

No doubt she will give it everything she has. The question going in will be, how much does she have?