3:02 PM
Serena Williams was at Indian Wells in 2001 when she experienced a traumatic experience that she still experiences today.
In an interview with Will Smith for "Red Table Talk" released Wednesday, Williams said he was traumatizing when he went back 14 years later. Talk about stress and anxiety. I remember sitting in the bathroom and not going back. I don't think I should do this. What if they start booing again? It was hard for me.
Elena Dementieva accused Richard Williams of manipulating his daughters' matches. The comment gained even more traction after Venus withdrew from her semifinal match against Serena just moments before it was to start.
Fans booed Serena and Venus Williams at Indian Wells in 2001 after Venus withdrew from their semifinal match with a knee injury. Venus and her father watched from the stands as Serena beat Kim Clijsters in the final.
The crowd booed when Richard and Venus sat in the stands to support Serena. The spectators continued to be angry at Serena.
Serena defeated Clijsters in three sets for her second title at Indian Wells, but the jeers continued after the match concluded and grew louder as she embraced Venus and Richard courtside.
Richard said he was the target of several racial slurs.
Serena told Smith that it was hard. I remember just getting in the car and I was crying. I was at the gas station and there was no celebration.
Serena wrote a first-person column for Time.com in 2015, about the toll that the incident took on her, just weeks before her return to Indian Wells after a 14-year absence.
Her most detailed account of what it was like to go back to the event was posted on Wednesday.
Smith plays Richard Williams in the film "King Richard." Serena and Venus were present for the interview with Smith, they are both executive producers on the project.
