Dubai: Venus Williams has still not decided if she wants to join younger sister Serena at next month’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California.
Earlier this month, Serena announced her intention of ending her boycott of the biggest tournaments in tennis after the racial abuse she and her family suffered there at the 2001 edition. She was to play Venus in the semi-finals, but with the older sister ill, the match could not go on drawing a host of racial epithets at Serena during her final against Kim Clijsters the following day.
Neither of the two went to Indian Wells after that, but last week Serena decided it was time to forgive and forget. However, old sister Venus is still not clear what she would like to do. “That was a decision she [Serena] made and we ought to respect that. All I can say at this moment is that I am not signed in to play in Indian Wells,” Venus told media after the official draw of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships was held here on Saturday.
This will be the seventh visit for Venus to Dubai, during which she has won three times while also making a semi-final on her debut in 2002, where she lost to Sandrine Testud.
“Right now I am here in Dubai to defend my title and I would like to stay focused on that,” she said.
