Serena Williams announced Wednesday that she would return to a tournament in Indian Wells, Calif., 14 years after fans there booed her in an ugly incident involving unfounded allegations of match-fixing.
In 2001, Williams was scheduled to face sister Venus at Indian Wells. But tendonitis forced Venus to withdraw, prompting vicious, racially charged abuse.
"The undercurrent of racism was painful, confusing and unfair," Williams wrote of the experience. "In a game I loved with all my heart, at one of my most cherished tournaments, I suddenly felt unwelcome, alone and afraid."
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But citing the progress the sport has made since then, Williams said she was finally ready to return to the event that long haunted her: "Together we have a chance to write a different ending."
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