Venus Williams, who will be in the Coachella Valley, California area on Saturday promoting her clothing line, EleVen, won’t say whether she will ever compete at Indian Wells again. Venus and her sister Serena have not played the WTA mandatory event since 2001, when they both alleged they were victims of racial taunts from the crowd.
Venus has told TENNIS.com in the past that she didn’t like the way she was treated and that it would take an “act of god” for her to return.
Speaking to the Desert Sun newspaper on Wednesday, the 33-year-old said: “I believe it’s a great tournament. It’s a beautiful tournament, one of the biggest. Unfortunately I haven’t played in the last few years, but of course I had a lot of great memories there in the past. It was really my breakout tournament in 1997. I will always have those memories.”
Williams, who was brought up in Compton, California but resides in Florida, added that she is still comfortable in the state.
“I’m from California, I was born in California, so I feel very at home where ever I am in California. I’m excited to be coming down. There’s a huge tennis community in the desert, so I’m glad to be coming.”
She also said that she’s not very comfortable having to be out in public promoting her new line. Williams has been battling the autoimmune disease Sjogren’s syndrome for the past few years.
“I’m actually a shy person. I don’t like being in the middle of all the attention, which is weird considering my job,” Williams said. “Sometimes I think I’m going to die. But I think I’m going to make it.”