When one of the most accomplished athletes in all of sports takes a second-round loss at a tournament away from the prestige of grand slams, one might think that there would be a call for concern or, even worse, no fanfare at all.
Insert Venus Williams into that scenario, and the event has entered a whole new ball game.
The seven-time singles Grand Slam champion and tennis trailblazer embarked on yet another chapter in her remarkable journey by accepting a wild card to compete in the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C.
The tournament marks a beginning to the swing in the pro schedule that leads up to the U.S. Open in New York, but for Williams, it also marked a return to the tour after more than a year. However, winning a singles match at 45 years old will not be her lasting legacy from this week.
Williams recently opened up to the public about the struggles of a physical ailment and diagnosis that contributed to her time away from competition when she revealed she underwent a myomectomy to remove uterine fibroids in her body.
What may have been marked as a signal to officially call time on a future Hall of Fame career has proven to be only another segue for an already inspiring champion to continue a path of inspiration and resilience.
Williams' legacy is palpable in nearly every corner of competition at the D.C. Open. Even her doubles partner, D.C. native Hailey Baptiste. The 23-year-old, currently competing at a career-high ranking of World No. 48, mentioned in the press that D.C. is "probably one of the blackest stops on tour".
Those sentiments were echoed by Frances Tiafoe, friend of Baptiste and fellow native of the DMV area, who sarcastically asked, "Have you seen the stands?" when Baptiste's comment was put to him in post-match press.
Williams' impact on black success in the sport is highlighted even more so when you look at who the crowds are flocking to see. Stars like Tiafoe, Naomi Osaka, Ben Shelton, and Taylor Townsend are all in competition at the event and have all paid tribute to the influence Williams' success has had on their own careers.
The fans at the Rock Creek Tennis Center were out in full support of the Williams' comeback, and the energy inside the stadium reflects the action-packed matches.
As the landscape of tennis continues to modernize and new fans get tuned in to the many moving parts of a traveling tennis tour, one thing remains clear — Williams has opened doors for so many people to enter the tennis world. Look no further than the players and fans greeting her with open arms in Washington, D.C.
