Top women players, Venus and Serena Williams have decided to sit out of the competition in Indian Wells this year as well, following the bitter experience in 2001 championship finals. The semifinal clash between the sisters was cancelled when elder Williams withdrew from her match due to Tendinitis in both wrists. Serena's final match against Kim Clijsters brought racial comments and constant cat-calls by the spectators  throughout the match, leaving the Williams family distraught. "The worst kind of prejudice since they killed Martin Luther King, the white people at Indian Wells, what they've been wanting to say all along to us finally came out: 'Stay away from here, we don't want you here," irked Richard Williams, father and coach of Venus and Serena. Although Serena, a champion in Indian Wells in 1999, won the 2001 final as well, but swore off, along with her sister Venus, this one destination from their tournament itinerary ever since.

The tour has made some formidable changes to the tennis calendar, decreasing the number of tournaments and making it compulsory for the players to attend mandatory events throughout the year. "By streamlining the tournaments at the top, increasing the offseason and reducing the number of tournaments the players have to play, you're creating the best of the best," tour's CEO Larry Scott said. "The mandatory tournaments are a big part of that." Scott's effort to convince the sisters also went in vain when the sisters decided continue their self-imposed tournament exile. "The system is bigger than any player, or any two sisters. The end of the story hasn't been written yet. I can't predict exactly how it will play out," he added.

This means that the sisters are no exception and any unexcused absence from a mandatory event will result in suspension from subsequent events. However, the details as to how these suspensions will be administered are yet to be finalised. Six time Wimbledon Champion Billie Jean King also tried her level best to persuade Venus and Serena to play in the event. Though the sisters seem to have a sharp memory, atleast about the bad experiences in life.