{"id":176449687,"date":"2015-02-05T00:17:26","date_gmt":"2015-02-05T06:17:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/?p=176449687"},"modified":"2015-02-05T00:17:26","modified_gmt":"2015-02-05T06:17:26","slug":"sports-video-serena-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/2015\/02\/05\/sports-video-serena-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"SPORTS + VIDEO: Serena Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"time\"<\/a><\/p>\n

FEB 4, 2015<\/p>\n

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Serena Williams:<\/span><\/h2>\n

I\u2019m Going Back <\/span><\/h2>\n

to Indian Wells<\/span><\/h2>\n

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BY\u00a0Serena Williams<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>@serenawilliams<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"serena<\/a>
\nThe tennis star writes exclusively in TIME about her decision to return to a tournament that has haunted her<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We were outsiders.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was March 2001, and I was a 19-year-old focused on winning and being the best I could be, both for me and for the kids who looked up to me. I had spent tens of thousands of hours\u2014most of my \u00adadolescence\u2014\u00adserving, running, practicing, training day in and day out in pursuit of a dream. And it had started to become a reality. As a black tennis player, I looked different. I sounded different. I dressed differently. I served differently. But when I stepped onto the court, I could compete with anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tournament in Indian Wells, Calif., held a special place in my heart. I won my first pro match there in 1997, alongside my sister in doubles. I then sat and watched Venus qualify for the singles event and make a magical run all the way to the quarterfinals. It was a giant win not only for her but also for our whole family, and it marked the beginning of a new era that we were unknowingly writing. My first big tournament win also happened there, when I beat Steffi Graf in the \u201999 final.<\/span><\/p>\n