"If it wasn't for Venus and Serena Williams, this bullsh*t tennis would be dead" - When Richard Williams hit back at 2000 Wimbledon fixing allegations

At the 2001 Indian Wells Open, Serena Williams received a walkover in the semifinals after her elder sister Venus Williams withdrew minutes before the match, citing a knee injury. This resulted in fans accusing the family of fixing the result in favor of Serena, who went on to win the title.

While she played against Belgium's Kim Clijsters in the final, her father Richard Williams and Venus were heckled by the crowd, after which, the Williams sisters boycotted the event for the next 14 years. Although the incident took place at the beginning of their careers, it was still not the first time Williams faced match-fixing allegations.

At the 2000 Wimbledon Championships, the sisters faced each other in the semifinals in what was their fifth meeting on the tour. Despite Venus leading the head-to-head 3-1 at that point, experts tipped the younger sister to win, based on her form at the time.

After losing the first set, Serena fought back in the second to go 4-2 up. However, Venus shifted gears to win 10 consecutive points and forced a tie-break, where she wrapped up the match 6-2, 7-6(3). Once again, doubters alleged match-fixing in the older sister's favor, with both players quashing their claims.

Reacting angrily to the allegations, Richard stated that no one ever questioned the McEnroe brothers or Chris Evert and her sister.

"That's a goddam shame that people come up with that bullsh*t," Richard said. "When McEnroe and his brother played, when Chrissie Evert and her sister played, no one asked them that. But everyone comes to us with a goddam bunch of bullsh*t when it comes to that. You got the two best girls in tennis right here, and if it wasn't for Venus and Serena, this bullsh*t tennis would be dead, because Hingis and the other girls aren't worth selling. And people come with a bunch of sh*t like that? That is disgraceful."

Venus beat Lindsay Davenport in the final to lift her maiden Grand Slam title. By the end of their careers, Serena Williams finished with a head-to-head record of 19-12 over her sister.

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Serena Williams hints at return to tennis

Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open

During the Canadian Open in August, Serena Williams announced that she would 'evolve away from tennis' after the 2022 US Open. The 23-time Grand Slam winner bowed out at Flushing Meadows in the third round but has often hinted at making a comeback.

A few days ago, she posted an Instagram story with a photograph of a new racquet and wrote:

"I'm a little bored."

The 41-year-old also practiced with Venus Williams and Poland's Urszula Radwanska on a hardcourt in Jupiter, Florida. This led to fans speculating that Serena might be preparing for the 2023 Australian Open.