A phone call between Larry Ellison, the owner of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, and Serena Williams played an important role in Williams deciding to return to the event, The New York Times reported. The tournament CEO of Indian Wells, Raymond Moore, said that he spoke to Williams twice, with Williams also requesting to hear from the tournament's billionaire owner, Ellison.
"The first [phone call] was through Stacey [Allaster, the WTA chief executive], and Serena was, I think, on her way at that time to the WTA finals in Singapore. And she said, 'All right, let’s talk when I get back,'" Moore told the Times. "And when she got back, she said to me, 'I take everything you say, but Larry owns the tournament, and I’d like to hear from Larry.' He paid respect to her as a great athlete and said, 'Serena, I will do everything to make you comfortable and welcome in Indian Wells.' So that went a long way."
The Williams sisters have not played the tournament since they were booed following Venus Williams' withdrawal from a semifinal match against Serena in 2001.
Serena Williams will be playing as a wildcard, having not originally entered the tournament. The tournament is also holding a wildcard for Venus Williams, Moore said, though her agent has indicated she does not intend to play the event.