In an essay for The Players’ Tribune, Venus wrote about how Serena inspired her to return to Indian Wells in California after their bitter experience in 2001.
Venus recalled the accusations hurled against them and their father after she pulled out of a semi-final match against Serena, citing a knee injury.
Their father, Richard Williams, was accused of orchestrating Venus’s withdrawal from the match to let Serena win, which he refuted. He said his family was also subjected to boos, threats, and racial slurs from the crowd, including people who called him the N word.