Indian Wells Return Shows Serena Williams Will Wind Down Career on Her Own Terms

When Serena Williams announced that she would return to Indian Wells, her fans reacted with mixed emotions. 

Some questioned why Williams would end the 14-year boycott of one of tennis' biggest tournaments. Others supported the move as a sign of growth on Williams' part. 

Williams explained her reasons in her own words in an article she wrote for Time magazine. She also released a video. 

The avenue Williams chose to announce that she would play at Indian Wells says as much about her state of mind as the decision to return. By releasing a statement in her own words, Williams sought to avoid being misinterpreted.

It's the latest sign that Williams is determined to wind down her career on her terms.

The decision to return to Indian Wells represents an about-face for Williams. She explained, in her statement, how conflicted she was about it. 

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I have thought about going back to Indian Wells many times over my career. I said a few times that I would never play there again. And believe me, I meant it. I admit it scared me. What if I walked onto the court and the entire crowd booed me? The nightmare would start all over.

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Often called the "incident" at Indian Wells, in 2001, hostile fans booed Williams, her sister Venus and their father Richard Williams.

Serena was set to play Venus in a semifinal match. The morning of the event, Venus informed tournament officials that she had to withdraw because of tendinitis in her knee. According to Serena Williams, tournament officials chose to wait to the last minute to inform ticket holders.

This angered fans. Making matters worse were rumors that Richard Williams had Venus withdraw so the sisters could avoid playing each other. The family was also accused of prearranging the outcome of matches between the sisters.

Even ESPN commentators Mary Joe Fernandez and Pam Shriver can be heard in the broadcast suggesting that the sisters not enter the same tournaments so they can avoid playing each other. "It's not fair for everybody wondering," Shriver said.

It's inexplicable that Fernandez, Shriver and fans could pole vault to such conclusions based on Venus' withdrawal. But they did. It was even more ridiculous for Shriver to expect the Williams sisters to appease fans based on assumptions. 

Believing they had been wronged by the young Americans and their father, a stadium full of mostly white spectators decided to take their displeasure out on 19-year-old Serena as she played in the final. 

When you watch the video of the crowd's reaction, it's clear that something more sinister than mere displeasure took place. That day, some sick brew of racism, classism and mob mentality boiled over at Indian Wells. 

Shriver characterized the incident as a "tense" situation.   

The crowed booed as Venus and her father made their way to the player's box. They enthusiastically cheered for Serena's opponent, Kim Clijsters. Relishing their odd sense of entitlement, many spectators delighted in every fault served and unforced error made by Williams. 

It was an ugly case of grown folks behaving badly. During the telecast, Fernandez said she had heard rumors about pending boos. Shriver claimed she spoke with tournament officials who warned ushers that things could get ugly. Those comments hint at some orchestrated backlash.

Orchestrated or spontaneous, the jeers, tinged with racial overtones, were mean-spirited. They were painful for Williams. In the Time article Williams described how the booing impacted her emotionally. 

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It has been difficult for me to forget spending hours crying in the Indian Wells locker room after winning in 2001, driving back to Los Angeles feeling as if I had lost the biggest game ever—not a mere tennis game but a bigger fight for equality. Emotionally it seemed easier to stay away.

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What changed? Williams says that times have changed and so has she. She pointed to the WTA and USTA condemnation of Russian Tennis Federation leader Shamil Tarpischev after he made racist and sexist remarks about the Williams sisters as proof of that. 

Williams will use part of the return to raise funds for the Equal Justice Initiative, an organization that provides legal representation to people who have been denied fair and just treatment in the legal system. Fans who donate $10 or more will be entered into a drawing for a chance to sit court-side at Indian Wells and to hit balls with the 19-Slam champion.

It's another example of how Williams is dictating the way in which she returns.  

Williams appears determined to put her stamp on her legacy. She has risen above critics who extract one outburst from a near 20-year career and use it to hammer at her character. She refuses to be defined by others who have sought to pigeonhole her. This includes even some of her supporters, who pleaded with her to continue the boycott.  

Deciding to return to the scene of a crime against your sensibilities can't be easy. Those who believe Williams "caved" miss the point. The decision to return or not to return is hers to make. Neither her fans, father nor Venus can make that decision for her.

So many factors are beyond an athlete's control. Injuries, illness, contract negotiations and just plain life gets in the way. Williams has the means, the voice and the conviction to control more aspects of her career than most. 

She has earned more prize money than any woman in the history of sports. She's won more Grand Slams than any American tennis player. Her popularity transcends tennis. So does her legacy.

Williams appears to get that now. She's already talked about playing an abbreviated schedule. She told reporters that she wants to concentrate on the French Open and Wimbledon.

It's all about the Slams. Williams has eclipsed Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Steffi Graf is within reach. 

Yet Williams wrote that she's reached a point in her career where "I have nothing to prove."

Her detractors disagree. They hold the Slam totals of Graft (22) and Margaret Court (24) as some imaginary hurdle Williams must clear to earn "Greatest of All Time" status. 

That's OK. Williams listens to critics less and less these days. 

Instead, she speaks directly to her fans, via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and even Time magazine. She's built a reservoir of goodwill with her followers. They worship her from Miami to Manila. A loyal audience, they provide her with a fortress of well-being. 

That's why 14 years after the Indian Wells incident, there is no need for Williams to worry about boos. She won't have to tune out the haters. They will be drowned out by supporters.

Williams is no longer the impressionable teenager who was frightened by angry spectators. At age 33, Williams is an icon. She is confident about who she is and where she wants to go. If that includes a stop at Indian Wells, that's where she'll be.