The sun is finally shining on one of the most prestigious events of the tennis calendar. The first leg of the Sunshine Double, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells promises to be a thriller of a tournament. Top tennis players from across the world have descended in Indian Wells, which will play host to the event.

The Sunshine Double has often proven the breeding ground of the next generation of American stars. Players take this tournament as an opportunity to stamp their name in the tennis world. One such notable instance is the 2001 Indian Wells when Serena Williams triumphed.

2001 Indian Wells a memorable one for America

The 2001 edition of the tournament boasted some of the top American stars back then. The likes of Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, and Monica Seles made up 3 of the top 5 seeds in that event. However, it was Serena Williams, who took the title. No other American WTA player has managed to win Indian Wells since then.

The younger Williams sister was the seventh seed in the tournament and one of the dark horses to win the event. However, she produced some of her best to claim victory in the tournament. She defeated Kim Clijsters in the summit clash to win the title.

Despite Williams’ success in 2001, she boycotted the tournament the following year. She once revealed the reason behind not playing in the tournament.

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When Williams got emotional during boycott revelation

The American legend didn’t play in her home tournament for 14 years. Despite her good performance, she faced heat from the local crowd, who took an unruly jibe at her.

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Explaining why she boycotted the tournament, Williams said, “That’s just not something you hear in polite society on that stadium court. It was mostly just a chorus of boos, but I could still hear shouts of ’N*****!’ here and there. I even heard one angry voice telling us to go back to Compton. It was unbelievable.” 

Moreover, no other American WTA player managed to get their hands on the Indian Wells title since 2001. This year, the local crowd will pin their hopes on the likes of Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. Can the Indian Wells have an American champion this year?