Fourteen years ago, Serena Williams won the title at the 2001 Indian Wells tennis tournament in California. At the time, it seemed like it would be the first of many Indian Wells titles for her, seeing as how Serena grew up not far from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. But during Serena's final match of the '01 tournament against Kim Clijsters, Serena was booed mercilessly and her father Richard Williams and sister Venus Williams claimed that they were subjected to racial taunts from the crowd while they watched the match. So Serena vowed to boycott the tournament and spent 14 years away from Indian Wells.
That boycott ends today. Fourteen years after walking away from Indian Wells and promising to stay away for good, Serena will make her return to the tournament on Friday night during a match against Monica Niculescu. In a recent Time magazine piece, Williams explained her decision by saying that she's ready to forgive those who hurt her and her family in 2001.
"I'm fortunate to be at a point in my career where I have nothing to prove," she wrote. "I'm still as driven as ever, but the ride is a little easier. I play for the love of the game. And it is with that love in mind, and a new understanding of the true meaning of forgiveness, that I will proudly return to Indian Wells in 2015."
For more details about Williams' return, check out the video above.
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