The courts were green and the hair beads a flurry of predominantly white as Venus Williams raised sister Serena’s arm to the Rod Laver Arena crowd.
It was the heavily-touted siblings’ first tour-level clash, both on debut at the Australian Open in 1998.
Big sister Venus, at 17 – already a Grand Slam finalist in New York – took the honours that day en route to the quarterfinals.
“What you saw was something for the future,” a beaten Serena claimed.
It was bold, but ultimately prophetic.
The world truly was their oyster. Some 20 months later, Serena held her first major trophy; 10 months later, Venus landed hers.
Twenty-eight years since that first showdown on the green Rebound Ace, Serena’s days as a tennis pro are over, but Venus is back at Melbourne Park – a wildcard at Australian Open 2026 in her 22nd main draw appearance.
She has not contested an Australian Open in five years, and on Saturday, she beamed that it largely felt the same, even if the site had transformed.
“I don't know my way around,” she grinned. “I can hear the ghosts of the old footprint, but I'm lost.
“Definitely took a lot of wrong turns, but it's great to see the expansion and the investment in tennis.”
Before warm-up events in Auckland and Hobart this year, the seven-time major singles champion had not competed since last September, when she took a set off 11th seed Karolina Muchova in the first round at Flushing Meadows. She enjoyed a charmed run to the quarterfinals of the doubles in New York alongside Leylah Fernandez.
In her first match back to competition last July, she surprised younger compatriot Peyton Stearns in Washington, DC, her only singles win in almost a year.
“There were periods where I was super busy, so I'd have to take a week off here or three days off there, but for the most part I was training and trying to get myself back in the groove,” Venus said ahead of Sunday’s first-round meeting with Serbian lefty Olga Danilovic.
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“At this point, I need to be kind to myself, because I'm getting so many things right, but, you know, there had been a lack of playing matches. So, you know, I'm playing well. I'm setting myself up each point to win points and controlling the points.
“That's exactly how I'd want to play, and I'm playing the tennis I need to play.”
After her run in New York ended, the former No.1 was ambiguous at best when quizzed on whether a return to Australia was on the cards.
The major at which she was twice a finalist – losing in 2003 and 2017 to Serena – was keen to welcome her back, but there were other more pressing concerns.
“You've got to throw some red herrings, right? Also, I was getting married,” she said. “I had two weddings coming up. It was a busy time for me, so I was focused on that.”
Those two weddings were in fact her own two ceremonies – the first in Italy, the second in Florida – to Italian actor, producer and model Andrea Preti.
As expected, Serena was one of the bridesmaids.
“Well, the day is a celebration. The commitment comes long before,” Venus said. “It's kind of like getting here. It's the celebration of arriving and getting to actually play. The training happens long before.
“It's just our opportunity to celebrate with family and friends and to create lasting memories.”
Now 45, Venus held vivid memories of her outlook on life around the time of that first trip to those green courts Down Under.
Maturity offered a chance to reflect on that bright future Serena had flagged.
“I'm definitely the same person. I had my head on straight. It's still on pretty straight,” Venus said.
“It was a beautiful time, because there's so much I didn't know, but there's a great thing of not knowing because it lets you have a clean slate. There was so much I needed to learn, and then I learned it.
“That's the thing about sport is you keep stepping up to the line, and while there is nothing to prove, it's all about the attitude and the effort. No one can control that. Controlling that part is really the win.”