Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of the best female players to ever step foot on a tennis court.
Williams – the younger of two sporting sisters – won 23 Grand Slam titles, and was beaten in a further 10 finals when it came to major tournaments on the WTA Tour.
When it comes to sporting women, nobody comes close to Williams and she’s done great things to promote women in sport with her achievement on and off a tennis court.
Recently, Williams was seen going wild at the Super Bowl, dancing along to a Kendrick Lamar track without a care in the world and she’s most fans’ favourite former player.
It would appear, however, that Williams wasn’t always popular as a player. Booing in tennis has been scrutinised lately, with Thanasi Kokkinakis quizzed at the Australian Open about the subject.
Back in 2001, Williams was merely a teenager and something happened to her on court that perhaps shaped the next decade and helped her become a superstar of the game.
What the Indian Wells crowd did to Serena Williams in 2001
This was a tough period in the young career of Williams at the time and at just 19-years-old she had to work out how to combat a crowd who booed her every movement.
Naturally, Williams found a way. She beat Kim Clijsters 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the Indian Wells crown for a second time after initially winning it in 1999.
Speaking on the crowd who booed her, Williams was quizzed during her press conference about it and she admitted to being shocked and upset at the ordeal.
Serena said: “I’m really not sure what happened. I was just out there walking out with a bad reception from the crowd.
“At first, I wasn’t happy. I won here before. You know, I do well here. It wasn’t the happiest moment for me.
“Obviously (I felt hurt), because I’ve done well here. I was a champion just a year or two ago. I just had to get over it and start playing.
“I don’t think I was mentally ready for that at all. In the beginning, I was really shocked, but it never really annoyed me.
“I’m just a competitor. I mean, how many people do you know go out there and jeer a 19-year-old? Come on, I’m just a kid.”
Why the Indian Wells crowd booed Williams in 2001 and what Venus Williams decided to do
Venus Williams turned down a wildcard to play at this event this year. She chose not to play in this event for 15 years after this incident that saw the crowd turn on her younger sister.
The boos were on the back of a semi-final clash between the two sisters. Venus, struggling with an ankle problem, chose to withdraw from the last four match before a ball was served and that didn’t sit right with fans.
Supporters vented their frustration at being unable to witness that particular match by booing Williams on finals day, and that does feel a little bit unfair.
Still, it clearly didn’t make a difference as the legendary figure roared back to win from a set down and offer the world a glimpse of what was to come from this iconic player in the years ahead.
Williams is a true great and perhaps this incident went a long way towards helping her with the mental side of professional sport and allowed her to overcome similar situations during her career.
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