Venus Williams wins DC doubles comeback with Hailey Baptiste—with NBA legend Kevin Durant watching

WASHINGTON, DC—Still she rises: Venus Williams is back in orbit after over a year away from the game, winning her first match since 2023 alongside Hailey Baptiste in doubles at the Mubadala Citi DC Open.

“After the match Hailey asked me, ‘How did that feel?’ It's probably even harder to play the doubles first because I'm not a doubles player!” exclaimed the former world No. 1, who was being rather modest in the face of her 14 Grand Slam doubles victories and three gold medals alongside sister Serena.

Read more: Love keeps Venus Williams grounded ahead of DC comeback

The wild card team of Williams and Baptiste eased past Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue, 6-3, 6-1 on a jam-packed John A. Harris Grandstand crowd that included NBA Legend and DMV native Kevin Durant.

“I heard the crowd started screaming, KD, KD,” Baptiste said in a joint press conference after the match. “I was, like, ‘I'm not even going to look over right now. Let me just focus on this next return.’

“That's actually I think when you started playing better,” Williams added with a laugh. “I was, like, ‘I want to show KD what I can do. Hit the ball to me.’

“They hit every ball to you. I was, like, ‘Okay, whatever. However we win is fine.’”

Williams had last taken the court in 2024 in a losing singles effort at the Miami Open. Since then, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, now 45, had been sidelined with injuries and medical struggles, undergoing surgery to treat non-cancerous uterine fibroids.

“Where I am at this year is so much different where I was at last year. It's night and day, being able to be here and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago,” said Williams, who will play again tomorrow for a first-round singles match against countrywoman Peyton Stearns.

“I think my perspective at that time is I just want to be healthy,” she added later. “You can play all the matches in the world, can you do all the things in the world, but when your health is gone or when your opportunities are being taken away, it just puts a whole new perspective.

“It just put everything into perspective, like tennis is a game, it's our life, literally our obsession. It's actually a cult, I think—You guys would know; you guys are here every year too!—but at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if your health is not there.”

Baptiste beamed next to Williams, who she first met as a toddler during a World TeamTennis match in Washington, D.C., and emerged from their doubles debut inspired from seeing the game through the eyes of a future Hall of Famer.

“I think that she's always out to kill, which is obvious, because she's been so dominant in her career,” said Baptiste, who will play her singles opener against No. 6 seed Sofia Kenin on Tuesday. “We're down one time 40-15 or 15-40 in her service game, and she's, like, ‘All right, let's get three in a row.’ And we did.

“I think a few games later I was in that same situation. We got three in a row. I was kind of going off that. I think that was really cool. To be able to get that insight from her is awesome.”

Williams had been reticent to confirm additional tournament appearances, but it was announced Monday she could compete in US Open mixed doubles with Reilly Opelka. A win in Flushing would earn her a 23rd major title across three disciplines, having last captured a mixed doubles Slam in 1998.

In the meantime, Williams was satisfied to soak in the moment with Baptiste, one that put her back in the winner’s circle to the delight of the DC Open crowd.

“You gotta win to learn to win. You gotta win to win again. Isn't that a conundrum?” mused Williams to end the press conference.

“I think there are other performers, singers, they get to enjoy their performance throughout. But as an athlete, it's only in that final moment that you can just let go. Other than that, it's pure tension, pure focus, it's pure fire.

“So, I think it's important to share those emotions, you know, to let go and to share that with the crowd and with the fans and with the world who are right there with you, you know, to see that moment of happiness in full circle. “