article_snippet: The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is where Serena Williams' was booed during the 2001 finale.
article_snippet: The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, just east of Palm Desert, California, isn't a grand slam but is one of the top tournaments in tennis.
article_snippet: As such, top players go there to battle the best and prove top players mettle.
article_snippet: That's what brought Serena Williams to Indian Wells in 2001.
article_snippet: The roller-coaster ride back to Indian Wells started when Serena Williams accepted a wild-card invitation to play in this year's tournament, a difficult decision Serena recounted in TIME.
article_snippet: The match itself wasn't easy, either.
article_snippet: That includes more at Indian Wells, whose talented field includes Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki.
article_snippet: CNN's Ravi Ubha contributed to this report.