Poll: Do You Support the Williams Sisters’ Decision to Not Play Indian Wells?

You should get the facts from them instead of one journalist and their selective memories. Serena Williams has written in her book that Venus gave notice hours in advance, but they still prodded her to play even though she said she could not.

Elena Dementieva even noted that Venus was injured in their match. The transcripts are still available. The YouTube clips are available now.

Kim Clijsters herself said that it was unfair and too much for an entire crowd to boo Serena on every error, including when she went to serve. Mysteriously the clips of Serena crying during the change over have disappeared. Some of us remember. I’m sure they do.

Venus got clearance from the WTA physician and they didn’t have the presence of mind to calm the crowd or alert them before hand? No. They allowed a 17 year old girl go through such harsh treatment on American soil.

Would YOU go back?

March 8th, 2010 at 10:49 pm

I support them in the sense they shouldnt play anymore at all… they are bad for the sport and I wish they would just retire.

March 8th, 2010 at 11:52 pm

I’m white, but you really get the sense of the vast ignorance out there about racial issues when whites rip the Williams sisters for not playing Indian Wells.

The crowd’s attitude was appalling that day, and anyone who thinks the reaction had nothing to do with race is very naive. I see no reason for them to play there again, which gives the added bonus of more men’s tennis on TV.

March 8th, 2010 at 11:59 pm

Regardless of the racial issue, I think any player can play any tournament s/he wants (or not), without having to give a reason or justification, or get “public approval”.

March 9th, 2010 at 12:17 am

Venus actually told the tornament director that she was withdrawing but they kept telling her she should play. They only told the crowd that she was withdrawing right when the match was due to start. Venus and Serena were also very young at the time and they didn’t know what to do. I support that they miss the tournament!

March 9th, 2010 at 12:50 am

Tom: You really didn’t have to spell out that you didn’t support their decision. Which way you’re leaning is pretty obvious the way you’ve written the article. :)

NachoF: There are so few reasons to watch women’s tennis as it is, and you want to get rid of two of the biggest? Whether or not you’re a fan, you cannot seriously argue they are BAD for the sport?!

As for the poll question, yes, I support them. Maybe 9 years is too long to hold a grudge. But players can choose which events to compete in, and which events to abandon.

Oh, and I know this is a tad off-topic, but I have to say, we fans can be such hypocrites. If players complain the season is too long, we say ‘Stop whining, you don’t HAVE to play every tournament’. But if they pull out of the ones in which we want to see them play, we whine, ‘How COULD you? How DARE you disappoint your fans.’ They really can’t win with us, can they? :)

March 9th, 2010 at 1:40 am

The big problem is that they have carried this grudge for so long that should they decide to play IW now, there will definitely be an adverse reaction from the crowd. I can understand why they decided to boycott it, it must have been terrifying for Serena to endure such animosity in Carlifonia, her own neck of the woods, especially as it was all based on a misunderstanding by the crowd.

Ever since they came on the scene, the media have tried to paint them as freaks who fix matches between each other, to that I’ll say people judge others by their own standards, obviously, that is how they would behave giving the same circumstances.

I think they’ve gone to far with the boycott, so it’s not possible to end it now, unless some good PR is done before hand.

March 9th, 2010 at 3:37 am

No, I don’t support their decision.

Look, maybe Venus did have a real injury. Maybe she really couldn’t give the match a try, but all of that is just ifs and buts. That’s not the issue. I’m sure Richard didn’t have a say in who wins their matches, after all why would he let Serena beat Venus in four consecutive slam finals to capture the Serena slam???

The issue here is that the Williams’ think they were the targets of racism, and that apparently amid the booing someone shouted the N-word. But you know what? Last year, Serena was pretty much booed by everyone in Arther Ashe stadium after her dramatic exit from the Clijsters match and her no-apology apology after that. I’m sure some New Yorkers shouted the N-word, B-word and H-word. Do you think Venus or Serena will skip any US Opens? Hell no.

Was the crowd unfair? Yes. Does that justify skipping IW for nine years? No. IMHO, the Williams sisters should have gone back the very next year, reached the final and played their hearts out. That would have been an emphatic answer.

But I agree with those of you who said they can’t go back now.

March 9th, 2010 at 4:53 am

I SUPPORT THE WILLIAMS SISTERS MISSING THE TOURNAMENT!

NachoF-The Williams sisters arent bad for the sport, infact they are PERFECT for the sport, They have given back to tennis by representing womens tennis to demand equal prize money, they rasie money for countries in need like HAITI! so how is that bad for the sport, those two examples I have given are just 2 of the millions of good things the Williams sisters have done.

Back to me supporting them..YES why should they play at a tournament where they were booed with racist comments, ofcourse the tournament director isnt going to say “yes people used the N word” he would lose his job, but why should they forgive and forget. NO I hope they dont go back to the tournament for aslong as their careers go for, which I hope is for another 10 years! :)

March 9th, 2010 at 5:03 am

Venus & Serena do not owe anyone any answers about anything people get a LIFE. I am so tired of people always having negative thing to say about the Williams sister. They have taken tennis to a high no other tennis player has ever done and if they where WHITE we would not be having this conversation. People stop hating there are more important things going on in the world. What I think people are the most upset about is that the Williams sisters are fighters and they are winners and they have the money and power. PEACE OUT.

March 9th, 2010 at 6:59 am

It’s a two-way street. If the IW organizers had apologized, or even acknowledged that something regrettable happened, the Williams sisters would have come back years ago.

So let’s not just blame it all on the sisters.

March 9th, 2010 at 7:23 am

if u’ve never been a victim of racism and ur saying the sisters should play IW, ur like one of those hipsters who doesnt see the harm in dressing up as a nazi for halloween

March 9th, 2010 at 8:06 am

this articles is bias write down the whole fact.serena and venus williams abuse in their own country and their home town. elena demintivea say this say that much fixing rumors blah blah blah. if you write down the whole fact more than that tom gainey. prejudice plus power another word racism. tom gainey donot be bias. i see the whole game 2001 indian wells.playing indian wells is easy but the williams sisters teach you a listen.do you think you learn from that. i donot think so but the william sister they try their part. if you pour in stone water, it will not go through.all i am saying is fuckin listen.

March 9th, 2010 at 8:40 am

I don’t think the crowd reacted fairly; however, to say the entire reaction had a racial undercurrent is naive. Sure, there were some in the audience that may have acted differently if these were two other white players; but to say the entire crowd fell into that camp in unfair.

The bottom line is that Serena and Venus are champions and now adults, not 17 year old girls. They should rise above what happened in the past and play Indian Wells. For no other reason than to show the handful of ignorant spectators that they have moved on and are deserving of respect. I’m willing to bet they would be embraced with open arms.

On a side note, I’m disappointed in the way the WTA has handled this in recent years. They put rules in place that supposedly would force the Williams’ hand but when push came to shove they didn’t apply the rules consistently (or at least that’s my understanding).

March 9th, 2010 at 9:50 am

I totally support their decision to stick to their principles and not return to Native American Wells.

What happened there was without precedent and totally inexcusable. Let us be clear about it, a teenage girl and her family were mercilessly booed and abused by a racist lynch mob at a public tennis match, without any semblance of intervention from the organisers.

If the organisers had a shred of decency they should have stopped the match, taken both players off the court and announced to the crowd that unless they ceased to behave like uncivilised pigs, the stadium would be emptied and the final would take place without them.

March 9th, 2010 at 10:25 am

Racism, shmacism. If everyone who’s ever been ridiculed for anything just backed out and avoided the situation, jews would still be slaves.

They’re professional tennis players and it’s been 9 years. I don’t support their decision to continue skipping an event because they feel slighted. Maybe Nadal should skip the FO from now on since he was booed last year. It’s ridiculous and the Williams’ are being selfish. They should’ve learned their lesson that they shouldn’t skip out on matches. Now they’re skipping out on the whole event. Wonderful. Way to stick it to the man!

March 9th, 2010 at 10:39 am

Dreadfully biased article. Indian Wells 2001 was a low point.

March 9th, 2010 at 10:46 am

I’m mad, their the main reason I watch woman tennis. They don’t play enough as is. We needd them in the game

March 9th, 2010 at 10:52 am

I am a black female and I still support the William sisters. I watched that match and was just ashamed how the crowd (maybe not 100% but practically 99%) of them acted that day. It was a disgrace and showed exactly how far (or low little) we had come. It’s their principle and as long as they feel the way they do – by skipping the event – then I support them. Like someone else said – maybe if the tournament officials or someone from the city had publicly apologized to them, maybe something could have been worked out.

I also agree with the others by saying this article was clearly written from ‘one’ aspect.

March 9th, 2010 at 11:08 am

I have been following this site for a few years. I am not a fan of the William’s sisters and I wish Serena would retire after the US Open incident. However, in this case the Williams did nothing wrong. If anyone, the tournament is at fault for not letting the fans know of the withdrawel earlier.

March 9th, 2010 at 11:53 am

whatever hapened to forgiveness?

March 9th, 2010 at 12:08 pm

This is racism only in the PC sense that any criticism of a black person for any reason is racism.

Both the Williams sisters in fact are over-privileged, selfish, narcissistic, spoiled brats. Exactly like many other top tennis players. The Williams sisters however, have not learned, or have not been taught, how to overcome or disguise their narcissism and present a pleasant public image. In my opinion, the father is most to blame for this.

March 9th, 2010 at 2:00 pm

the peer incident is racism, this is just garbage. williams are spoilt brats, and until fans stop accepting it the tour will support them, because they increase ticket sales. thankgod henin is back.

March 9th, 2010 at 2:27 pm

This entire article was poorly written as you could read the authors biased oppinion from the first word. Had it been a white player playing in a stadium full of minorities while being called racist names then your feelings would be drastically different. But because you’ve never been in that situation before, it’s easy for you to write it off. Additionally, whenever someone makes the ignorant comment that they wish the Williams sisters would retire, they”re just showing their racist hatred. Venus and Serena opened many doors for womens tennis in the amount of viewers that now watch the sport, the big endorsements that the women now get and the amount of prize money players now have. They are the only players who have been winning any titles for the USA. A male American hasn’t won a grand slam in 5 years but Venus and Serena have won have won like 8 or 9 slams during that period. When they do retire, the haters are gonna miss having someone from the USA in the winners circle! They are the greatest sports sibling act ever! They will also go down as 2 of the best individual players to play the game. If there were only one of them playing since the start of their careers then they would have 20 slams by now but one has always stood in the others way. They are the best in the game even at 28 and 29.

March 9th, 2010 at 2:37 pm

“Both the Williams sisters in fact are over-privileged, selfish, narcissistic, spoiled brats.”

Oh? And is that why Venus single-handedly shamed the Old England Club into awarding women prize money equal to the men’s? Every woman who plays at Wimbledon should thank her.

Besides the Williams sisters, it’s hard to name any other top women’s tennis players in the current era who have done as much to break barriers in the sport and make it more egalitarian. King and Navratilova come to mind, but no contemporaries.

During the whole Oudin brouhaha it became plain for all to see that the American tennis establishment is fervently searching for a Great White Hope (and I do mean a WHITE hope) to be the new face of American women’s tennis, so they can have done with the Williams sisters and bury them. For shame!

American tennis was happy to see McEnroe and Connors scream and curse at umps and make their lives miserable on a regular basis.

Serena blows up once and says something stupid, and all of a sudden there are calls for her to retire, coupled with none-too-subtle references to her “Compton origins.”

It’s sad that much of American tennis doesn’t truly value excellence–otherwise they would cheer the Williams sisters without reservation–but instead a certain antiquated and frankly racist ideal of tennis as a genteel country-club sport played exclusively by WASPs. Maybe that’s one of the reasons American tennis is in the doldrums.

Meanwhile the Williams sisters are going to keep winning, whether or not they are honored in their own country. And more power to them.

March 9th, 2010 at 4:11 pm

I have to say the post is so biased that it borders on maniacal.

First, to suggest that either player has an obligation to demonstrate their injuries by making a show of it (“…no limp, no knee wrapping”)is how we get idiots on tour making phony injury time outs, wincing just long enough for the cameras to capture it, and parents in the stands shaking their head and getting all teary-eyed at the whole spectacle. The sooner we’re done with these public solicitations of sympathy the better.

BTW – Venus was neither fined nor suspended for withdrawing, so as far as the tour is concerned the injury was legitimate. Anyone have any evidence to the contrary should speak up or go jump in a lake – or both, for all I care.

Nor has any evidence of match fixing been uncovered. EVER. This is due primarily to the reputation that Richard Williams had developed for being overbearing and cantakerous with the press – and I’m sure viewed in a more sympathetic light, would be viewed as it probably really is – a father taking care of his daughters. It is incredible to some, including the author of this post, probabably because their value system is so distorted by the prevalence of modern tennis parents who prostitute their children on tour just to make a buck. But I see Richard Williams for what he is – a man who was looking out for his daughters.

Now, before you snicker and consider yourself “too smart” to be fooled by the absence of proof, remember that Nikolay Davydenko was harangued by the tennis world for a crime that turned out to be talking too loud into a microphone and revealing his injury to a viewing public. Many of whom were obviously Russian, and would be in a position to A) understand what he was saying and B) benefit from that mid-match tidbit, and bet accordingly. This – AND ONLY THIS – was all the tennis world needed to besmirch this man’s character and reputation.

It’s asanine of the author to do the same here with half-witted and empty suggestions and innuendo, then cite a similarly biased summary from Joel Drucker, which includes an even sillier expectation (from Bill Dwyre of the LA Times) of an obligation from Venus to “set the record straight” when from their perspective, they’ve done absolutely nothing to entreat the distorted record. And as a matter of fact, other than an irresponsible comment from Dementieva and some reporters with nothing better to write, there is still no evidence of anything untoward.

These women are independent contractors who can play where ever the hell they want. If the WTA has rules that would punish them for not playing, let them punish them. The ITF certainly had no problems doing it when Serena lost it at the US Open last year, so what’s the WTA’s problem? Perhaps they recognize that, unlike the lineswoman at the US Open, Indian Wells is getting what it deserves.

As for the question of race – it is irrelevant. If they don’t want to play, nobody can force them. They can be punished, but they can’t be forced to play. But if you were the first African American to be a big success in tennis in half a century, and you had to go all the way to Mexico to get support, I suspect you’d view the antipathy of the crowd at Indian Wells through the prism of racism as well.

Before I read the post, I voted that I didn’t care about their continued absence from Indian Wells, but to be honest, at this point, I myself may boycott the tournament. Sure it’s one voice lost in a crowd, but I’ll still do it in protest against all the unfounded, unproven, irresponsible, pernicious and unjustified indignation coming for the likes of this author, Joel Drucker, Bill Dwyre, and everyone else who continues to stick it to the Williams sisters on this point.

I hope they never play there again.

March 9th, 2010 at 4:31 pm

By the way – I find it more than mildly ironic that Charlie Pasarell had the temerity to suggest that the game of tennis was hurt by her withdrawal from the semi-final, and not Indian Wells. I beg to differ. The game is just fine. Indian Wells loses big, but tennis and the Williams sisters seem to be just fine.

March 9th, 2010 at 4:35 pm

It’s their rights to play or not to play ,and we should respect that.

March 9th, 2010 at 4:46 pm

At the end of the day, the William Sisters make women tennis what it is now..they owe nothing to anyone..We all have the right to choose what we want to do and if I’m racially abused in my own home state I’ll be damned if I return..WTA tried to make them return last yr but common WTA..suspending the Williams Sisters is your financial lost..Who wants to waste money to see a bunch of mentally weak players call on a coach for help every time they get pushed by an opponent..2 tough black women ruling the sport was not what the 2001 crowd liked and now they will HATE THAT…Venus & Serena stay away and keep your integrity and not give it up for some ignorant, hateful set of people in IW

March 9th, 2010 at 5:24 pm

Why does Tom Gainey feel the need to dip into the Williams sisters past or current life? What happened happened and it is their decision “alone” as to whether or not they return to any tournament…especially when there is obvious racist behavior.

Tom Gainey…get a life will ya?!

March 9th, 2010 at 7:13 pm

Here’s a quote from Bruce Jenkins at SI.com, which relates to the topic, so I thought I’d post it.

“Serena and Venus Williams: Show up, right now, in time for a bye into the second round. Make an entrance so dramatic, they have to include you in the draw. (Shuffle the deck, kick out a couple of qualifiers, whatever it takes.)

The Williams boycott was bold and appropriate in 2002, the year after the sisters and their father, Richard, were subjected to racist heckling at Indian Wells, but it’s now a tired act. It really doesn’t make sense. Vulgar behavior can take place anywhere in the world, and the two have overcome it countless times. They’d make a far more powerful statement by returning to the scene and removing an air of tension that has loomed over this tournament for too long.

The WTA: Show some guts. Players skipping Indian Wells, one of five mandatory events under tour rules established last year, are subject to fines and a two-tournament ban. But wait! They can fulfill their obligation — if you can believe this — by performing “promotional activities” within a 125-mile radius of the event. So Venus and Serena will be out on the perimeter, right around the 124-mile mark, laughing heartily.”

March 9th, 2010 at 11:05 pm

I totally support the Williams sisters not playing anywhere. period.

March 10th, 2010 at 9:16 am

I don’t believe in mandatory events; I think the Williams sisters have a right to choose to play where and when they want. All forcing people into events they don’t want to play does is result in last-minute “injury” withdrawals and tanked matches. Besides, the more mandatory events you have, the harder time all the other tournaments have attracting talent…you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Enforcing a two-tournament ban? So Venus & Serena will skip Miami & Charleston too…that’ll really help the tour. They don’t need the money and they’re stubborn.

Besides, maybe Venus playing Acapulco does more good for the tour than her playing Indian Wells.

March 10th, 2010 at 11:01 am

MMTs post is far more insightful, well-written, analytical and well-argued than than Gainey’s predictable nonsense. I also agree with magritte that mandatory events are patronising, coercive and treat grown women and athletes like little girls who are unable to make choices for themselves as to how to manage their careers, and organise schedules that are actually conducive to staving off and managing injuries and aiding career longevity.

RE IW: She informed the tournament in advance that she had an injury, but they deliberately decided to stay silent in order to sell as many tickets as possible, using a WS match-up as false draw-card – until the very last minute where they were forced to tell the truth. Not only is this a form of false advertising but it dishonest, greedy and unprofessional.

The fact that despite being warned in advance they STILL decided to wait until the last minute to make an announcement also adds additional pressure on the athlete by pretending to do them a favour and “give them enough time” to ‘change their mind’ and play through an injury. How very classy of them, and not at all manipulative, pressurising or exploitative.

Once there was a negative backlash, IW with all its class and professionalism they allowed the WS and their father to be scapegoated by the crowd. The umpire refused to behave like an umpire enough to even attempt to maintain a civil environment for both Kim and Serena to play in.

And then people have the audacity wonder why the WS can’t bothered with IW and their untrustworthy behaviour?

Bottom line – IW lacked integrity. They didn’t protect their players, didn’t care about their health or well-being OR conversely didn’t respect them enough to take their word for it; and they pretty much threw the players under the bus one they didn’t get their way. They’ve never apologised for the incident either and have never admitted any responsibility. So why would they return there?

March 10th, 2010 at 5:28 pm

Venus and Serena who???

March 10th, 2010 at 7:01 pm

I think it is unfortunate you decided to slant your question with a biased recitation of what transpired. Venus’ opponent acknowledged that she was injured during their match. Both Venus and Richard Williams have indicated that they were called the N-word by some fans. These same fans booed an American player (Serena) who won a tournament on home soil and now the tournament officials get made that they do not want to come back. I am glad they boycott and support that decision.

March 11th, 2010 at 5:27 am

To say the William sisters should just get over it and move on is a slap in the face to Blacks everywhere. Who are you to say 9 years is long enough to get their point across. If a member of my family was called the N word of course I would be upset and eventually I would stop thinking about it. I would not get over it though..I do think that if the WTA had come out and defended the sisters then maybe they would have come back to the tour. Also to say that Venus and Serena are selfish is appalling. I just watched the tournament two weeks ago in Dubai in which Venus made statements stating in fact that she would not have come to this tournament had Shahar Peer not been able to participate. Stop judging the sisters before you know the facts. These girls are the face of Womens Tennis and have made it exciting for people across the world to watch. Enjoy them and stop hating on them.

March 11th, 2010 at 2:17 pm

What knocks me out is that not one person,including the person who wrote this article remembers what happened in Dubai,when a player from Israel was not allowed to even play there!Venus spoke out in protest,to the point of boycotting Dubai.Only when Andy Roddick and other white players jumped on the band wagon did the folks in Dubai,change in tune,and the press wanted to make Roddick the hero!Only until white people put on some black or brown,red or yellow skin and walk in it for any measure of time will they realize what they ALONE have done to this world!

March 12th, 2010 at 1:03 am

who are you tom gainey (obviously you are self-important white male from your name) to dictate to any person, who has experienced racism, how long they should hold a “grudge”.

did you see the behavior of that crowd – absolutely despicable!!! a lynch mob mentality in 98% white indian wells, california – guess california isn’t as progressive as people think it is (especially in “sundown towns” like indian wells).

if those were my teenage daughters and they were subjected to that lynch mob mentality, i wouldn’t take my family back there either, EVER. why? to help indian wells to draw more people and make more money? just as i don’t buy goods from companies that exploit sweatshop workers, etc, i’m certainly not going to support an american tennis tournament that supports racism!

when you speak to germans today about nazi germany, they try to blame the persecution of jews on hitler and the nazi party. one by one you notice that your jewish doctor, dentist, butcher, etc all are missing. the everyday german citizen who turned a blind eye to their jewish neighbors disappearing is just as guilty as the nazi soldiers who physically rounded up the jews to kill them. so whether it was only 1 person who called the williams family the N word or 100 people, virtually the entire stadium was booing and jeering serena and her family FOR OVER 2 HOURS (from the beginning of the match to the end).

so every person in that stadium is guilty to some degree if they didn’t police their fellow fans to make it clear that verbally assaulting the williams family isn’t acceptable. but like most mobs, people at the indian wells joined in and verbally lynched the williams sisters and their families.

bottom line, indian wells will be a stain on tennis FOREVER! likewise, the williams sisters have every right to boycott forever.

March 12th, 2010 at 2:01 am

In Dubai an Israeli player was allowed to compete in the tournament partly because Venus Williams said she would boycott the tournament if they did not allow her to play.

Had Peer not been allowed to play and Venus had boycotted that tournament I seriously doubt that anyone would be calling for her to play there.

When Serena Williams (one person) yelled abuse at a lines woman (behavior that was unacceptable, but a SINGLE event in years of otherwise impeccable behavior) many felt sympathy at the fear that poor lines woman must have felt.

Multiply that single person by hundreds and increase the abuse to a constant for the whole match, decrease the age of the person being abused and yet the same people fail to see how much that situation must have hurt Serena who despite it went on to win that match and tournament.

Many have already stated my feelings as to why the sisters should not ever go back there.

This is not about a ‘grudge’ or punishment, this is about the hurt and pain felt by a young girl who had done nothing to deserve that kind of treatment.

Treatment that would never have happened had she looked like Melanie Oudin, or Justine Henin. Who by the way is much loved by many Americans despite the fact that she actually did something rather despicable during a match between her and Serena Williams. She was not booed by the home crowd, actually she got so much support that Serena was almost in tears at the end of that match.

Oh to see that kind of support for our own players who have done so much for the name of American tennis all over the world.

March 13th, 2010 at 11:50 am

Venus and Serena should go back to play It is time to forgive and forget They are the Greatest and no comments can keep two Lovely People down. Come on girls we love you both and we will support you always All my Family do. Don,t miss Canada or else We Will be crying

March 16th, 2010 at 5:21 pm

The Williams sisters becoming a bad parity of themselves. Their actions and attitudes toward the sport that made them rich(not to mention their father’s arrogance) are killing the sport. Better that they leave the sport immediately. It may take a while but women’s tennis will make a comeback.

March 19th, 2010 at 3:59 pm

A lot of money was made that day off tickets and big parking fees,expensive food courts before the match and beer & wine. The pull out announcement was delayed for monetary reasons. People were entitled to be ticked. To see your car from the stadium you would need binoculars. A little more notice would have saved fans hours of traffic,parking, walking,walking,walking and walking back to a grass field in the desert to their dust covered cars. Very poor management and disregard for the fans I would say. If you were around in those days you know that it was important to the Williams family that the sisters not compete against each other. Give me a break ! booing has been around for ever in sports. I was there . It wasn’t that bad. Its the sisters who are being politically and racially incorrect after years of boycotting I.W. which is a fine city with no racial bias at all.

March 28th, 2010 at 1:51 pm

Who care’s if you don’t support their decision . It’s called their decision not yours . It’s not your life it’s an eye for an eye . Get used to it okay . I support the william decision 100% on their decision not to ever play there ever again..

April 8th, 2010 at 8:17 pm