In class we discussed the Williams sisters and the Indian Wells issue. During the tournament in 2001, Venus Williams decided to sit out of her match because of an injury. While this is a very common problem in professional tennis, the managers at Indian Wells decided not to announce this until the last minute, leaving fans without the chance to see the Williams sisters play in the semifinals. A couple of days later when Serena was playing in the finals, the angry crowd booed her. When Venus and her father entered the stadium, they were booed and members of the crowd yelled racist comments at the two. Richard, their father, emphatically raised his fist in the air reminiscent of the 1968 Olympics.
I feel that although there may have been racist comments made, the Williams sisters should play the Indian Wells tournament. I don't condone any racist comments whatsoever, but I feel the fans have a right to be upset. Ticket prices are not cheap, and watching the Williams sisters play is not an easy ticket to find. I bet most athletes in all sports hear racist comments on a regular basis. The Williams sisters are basically just feeding the fire and letting the racist fans win. I think it would be more of a statement if the sisters came back and rose above the racism and proved that they were better than it rather than just avoiding it. On top of that, there were way more fans in attendance at Indian Wells that weren't racist that are getting the shaft because the Williams sisters won't play the event. Not only do the racist fans win, the thousands of other fans lose because of that. In my opinion, the Williams sisters should play at Indian Wells and end the boycott.
I have two thoughts about your comments. First, I think Serena showed that she could rise above the racist epithets by coming back to win over Kim Clijsters in the finals. Second, I think the organizers of the tournament bear some responsibility for not making an announcement in ample time to let people know that Venus and Serena would not be playing. By waiting until the last minute, I think they effectively made it appear like Venus and Serena were the villains. In that sense, I believe they were complicit in what happened. That is a big part of the reason why I believe Venus and Serena do not want to return to Indian Wells.
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