( CNN ) Serena Williams had a big decision to make earlier this year , and she wanted to run it by her parents . She was nervous . She wanted to see whether they would support her going back to Indian Wells , California , to play in a tournament she had skipped 13 times since winning in 2001 . The last time she was there , she had been booed loudly and lustfully . The fans were upset and sensed some sort of conspiracy that she did n't have to face her talented older sister in the semifinals . Venus Williams had withdrawn 10 minutes before their match with a knee injury . Many fans did n't buy it and thought it was orchestrated to give the younger Williams a chance for extra rest . Two days later , during the championship match , Serena Williams , 19 at the time , was jeered when she did well and cheered when she fared poorly . Then days after the tournament , which she won , her father , Richard , told USA Today that as he and Venus walked down the stairs to their seats , people kept calling him the N-word and one man said : `` I wish it was '75 ; we 'd skin you alive . '' Neither Serena nor Venus has played in the tennis tournament since . That will end Friday when Serena Williams , the world No . 1 , faces Monica Niculescu , the 68th-ranked player in a second-round match . The end of the boycott took a lot of conversations with a lot of people , Williams told reporters Thursday . Two of the most important were with her parents . `` It was a really emotional time for me , '' she said , saying the prospect of the talks made her a little nervous . She told them she would n't go back if they did n't want her to go . But they both said to play . Her dad said it would be a big mistake not to come back , she said . Williams said her mother said , `` I will be there for you . '' Venus Williams , the No . 11 singles player , is n't playing in the tournament , but Serena Williams said her older sister was 100 % behind her . She is `` very happy that I am here . And even encouraged me to come , '' Serena Williams said . Serena Williams announced her return to the event in a TIME magazine first-person piece in February , writing she would ended her boycott in the spirit of forgiveness . She said Thursday that she did n't just have to forgive the fans at Indian Wells . `` In order to forgive , you have to be able to really let go of everything . I kind of let go a long time ago , and I kind of forgave , but I was n't at point where I was ready to come back , '' she said . The timing seemed right this year , she said . She added that she will be a little nervous in her first match at the BNP Paribas Open . Still she was `` looking forward actually to kind of stepping out on center court and letting the whole world know that it does n't matter what you face -- whether it 's something that was n't right , something that hurt you , hurt your family . You can just come out and be strong . '' CNN 's Chris Borg and Tom McGowan contributed to this report .
In 2001 , her ##rera said the tournament was the result of racial discrimination . Neither ##kovic or Venus Williams has played in the tournament since . Serena also says it shows the world you can be strong in the face of intolerance .