22 Years After Suffering a Heart-Wrenching Incident at Indian Wells, Venus Williams Breaks Silence on How Sister Serena Williams Motivated Her to Finally Make a Comeback at the Controversial Tournament

Indian Wells may not be a Grand Slam, but ask any pro tennis player, and they’ll tell you that it’s one of the most prestigious non-Grand Slam events to win on the tennis calendar. However, owing to a controversial incident in 2001, both Venus and Serena Williams boycotted the tournament for over a decade. Eventually, though, one after the other, both of them returned to the tournament. Serena was the first to make her comeback, and a year later, Venus followed in her younger sister’s footsteps. During a recent Instagram Q&A session with her fans, Venus revealed how she felt returning to the tournament in 2016.

In her answer, she was particularly appreciative of the role her sister Serena played in motivating her to mark her Indian Wells comeback.

Venus Williams wouldn’t have returned to Indian Wells without sister Serena Williams’ motivation

On Instagram, Venus Williams makes it a point to host frequent Q&A sessions. During the sessions, she answers her fans’ most pertinent tennis-related questions. On this occasion, a fan asked her, “What was it like returning to Indian Wells?”

In her response, Venus said, “Serena was definitely my motivation to return to Indian Wells. I wouldn’t have done that without her”. She went on to say, “I’m so glad, though it’s so amazing playing in California where I’m from. It’s awesome playing in the States too.”

Additionally, she said, “There’s nothing like playing where you’re from, so I have to thank her a lot for that”. Her conclusion to the answer, though, was somewhat sad. “Although I haven’t had a chance to play in so long”. Venus is still nursing a hamstring injury she picked up at the ASB Auckland Classic earlier this year.

What happened in 2001?

At the 2001 Indian Wells tournament, controversy erupted after Richard Williams, Venus and Serena’s father, faced match-fixing accusations. The tournament saw Serena emerge as the winner after she defeated Kim Clijsters in the final. Further controversy followed during the final as racist slurs came Richard Williams’ way as he and Venus were in the stands for the final.

Despite her win, Serena suffered an emotional breakdown owing to the abuse her father received. After the tournament’s conclusion, the two sisters decided to boycott the tournament. Even this decision turned into a matter of controversy in 2009, when the WTA Tour made the tournament mandatory for women’s tennis players.

Although the Williams sisters returned to the prestigious tournament, the incident in 2001 remains a dark page in the history of American tennis.

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