LOS ANGELES: Venus Williams will end her 15-year boycott of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells next week, following in the footsteps of sister Serena who returned to the event last year. The 35-year-old former world No 1 has not played the prestigious Californian event since 2001, when she and Serena were booed by sections of the crowd. Her father Richard Williams has long alleged the family was subjected to repeated racial slurs after Venus withdrew from a semi-final against Serena due to a knee injury. “I remember the pain of my knee injury, and how badly I wanted to play in the semis against Serena — before finally accepting that I wouldn’t be able to,” Venus said.