"Next time you get Martina Hingis & Lindsay Davenport, ask them" - When Serena Williams was scandalized by 'family' accusation at Indian Wells

Serena Williams once clapped back at a reporter who asked her to respond to controversial remarks made by Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, and Elena Dementieva about her and her family. This happened during 2001 Indian Wells, which later became one of the most controversial events in tennis history.

Dementieva accused Richard Williams of orchestrating match outcomes between his daughters, Serena and Venus. The claim gained traction after Venus withdrew from her semifinal match against Serena at Indian Wells just moments before it was set to begin, citing a knee injury.

Later, Davenport and Hingis also weighed in, expressing skepticism about the Williams sisters' matches against each other. However, unlike Dementieva, they stopped short of directly accusing Richard of match-fixing. When a reporter asked Serena Williams about their comments, she fired back.

"Next time you get Dementieva, Hingis, Davenport, you should ask them. I can't really tell you why. I don't read their minds. I'm not a mind-reader. I can only tell you what I know. I've already answered that question," she said ahead of her encounter with Kim Clijsters in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion added:

"People have the freedom of speech. They can say whatever they want. People do whatever they want. They say what they want. It's going to happen. I mean, obviously we're sisters, we're very close. People often speculate things like that. People are just always going to speculate things. In the end, it just boils down to who -- yeah, I don't know."

During the final against Clijsters, Serena Williams not only battled her opponent but also a hostile crowd. She, along with Venus and Richard, who were in the stands, endured boos and alleged racist abuse. In response, they boycotted Indian Wells for over a decade.

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Serena Williams made her comeback at Indian Wells in 2015, followed by her sister Venus Williams

Serena Williams and Venus Williams pictured at Indian Wells in 2018 BNP | Image Source: Getty

Serena Williams won the 2001 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells by defeating Kim Clijsters in the final. However, the hostility she and her family faced led her and Venus to boycott the tournament for over a decade. Serena made her return in 2015, with Venus following a year later.

Even after her return, the impact of the controversial incident never truly left Serena’s mind. In a 2021 interview with Will Smith, she admitted that every time she considered going back, she feared the audience might boo her again.

"Even when I went back 14 years later, it was very traumatizing. Talk about post-traumatic stress and mental anxiety. I remember sitting in the bathroom thinking, 'Wait, I'm not gonna go back. I just don't think I should do this. What if they start booing again?' It was really hard for me," she said.

Williams' last appearance in Palm Springs was in 2019, when she retired from her third-round match against Garbine Muguruza due to illness. Meanwhile, Venus last competed there in 2021, losing to Hsieh Su-wei in the opening round.