Venus Williams is back on the tennis scene, ready to compete for the first time in more than a year, and while she smiled or laughed frequently Sunday while discussing her return at the DC Open, there was something that would make her even happier: if her younger sister Serena were along for the ride.

After a 16-month break, Venus Williams is back, accepting a wild-card entry in singles at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, one of the nation’s largest professional tennis tournaments.