Tennis legend Serena Williams once spoke about how much her mother Oracene Price influenced her career.
Williams made these remarks during the 2001 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, where she clinched the title by defeating Kim Clijsters 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final. This victory marked her second win at the tournament, following her previous triumph in 1999.
On her way to the title, Williams defeated players like Adriana Gersi, Gala Leon Garcia, Magdalena Maleeva, Lindsay Davenport and her sister Venus Williams. She won all her matches in straight sets except for the one against Venus, where she received a walkover.
After beating Davenport in the quarterfinals, Serena Williams talked to the press about how her mother Oracene Price alongside their father cum coach Richard, influenced her and her sisters’ careers.
“Well, she’s a disciplinary (smiling). No, my mom, if you take a human being, you have a body, she would be the spine, where you can’t move without it, you can’t do anything. I would say that’s her. She was there in the beginning of our career, and she really supported us the way your spine would, help you stand straight. She was there the whole time,” Williams said
“She really — I called her said. I said, ‘Mom, what do I need to do?’ just before my match. Apparently, she gave me some good advice. My dad is here. He’s helping us practicing. I’m like, ‘Mom, what do you think?’ She’s our coach. That’s why she travels with us,” the 23-time Major winner added.
Sharing what advice her mother gave her before her match against Davenport, Williams said:
“She’s the one who told me, “You know, Serena, you know your game. You know how to play. You know what to do. All you need to do is go out there and focus for every point and want every point.” That’s why I was okay.”
Serena Williams abstained from participating in Indian Wells until 2015
Serena Williams boycotted the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells from 2002 until her return in 2015 because of a controversial incident that occurred in 2001 during her title bout against Kim Clijsters.
Williams, alongside her sister Venus and father Richard, faced racist and derogatory remarks from the crowd. This experience deeply affected them, leading them to feel unwelcome and unsafe at the venue.
Venus Williams also chose to boycott the event on her home soil. However, similar to her sister, she eventually decided to return to the tournament 15 years later in 2016.
