It was supposed to be a routine match withdrawal, but it ended up becoming one of the most-talked-about events in the Open Era. When Venus Williams pulled out of her Indian Wells semifinal match against little sister Serena due to injury in 2001, this seemingly simple announcement turned out not to be so simple after all, as accusations of racism and match fixing were made. This led to a 14-year boycott by the Williams sisters.
Fast forward to 2015, which saw Serena make her much-anticipated return to the desert. The emotional American received an overwhelming support. A year later, Venus followed Serena’s footsteps, making her overdue return to the premier WTA tournament.
Earlier this week, the sisters met in the third round in Indian Wells, with Venus besting Serena in straight sets.