“I’m not intimidated by Steffi Graf.. I can intimidate anyone”: When a teenage Serena Williams spoke on facing the German ahead of Indian Wells final

Serena Williams once said that she was not intimidated by Steffi Graf before facing her in the Indian Wells final in 1999. The American entered the tournament, then known as the Evert Cup, unseeded and booked her place in the title clash with wins over Jessica Steck, Lindsay Davenport, Cara Black, Mary Pierce, and Sandrine Testud. Before the final, Williams, who was waiting for a manicure at the tournament’s traveling salon, said to Sports Illustrated that she wasn’t intimidated by Steffi Graf or by anyone unless the person on the other side of the net was someone who was ten feet tall and green.

The American also said that her size and skills could intimidate any player.

“No, I’m not intimidated by Steffi. I’ve never been intimidated by anyone, and unless I’m across the net from someone who’s 10 feet tall and green, I won’t be. On the other hand, because of my size and skills, I can intimidate anyone,” Williams said.
The American won the opening set against Graf 6-3 before the German bounced back to take the second set by the same scoreline and force the match into a decider. Williams edged out the last set to register a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win and clinch the Evert Cup.
She went on to win her very first Grand Slam singles title that year by defeating Martina Hingis in the final of the US Open.

Serena Williams won two titles in Indian Wells

Serena Williams won two titles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, with the 1999 win being her first. The American’s second title at the event came in 2001 when she came back from a set down to defeat a teenage Kim Clijsters 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

Serena Williams and Venus Williams both boycotted Indian Wells for over a decade due to the racist behavior they endured at the event. Both sisters returned to the tournament in 2015, with the former reaching the semifinals before withdrawing due to injury. Serena also reached the final in 2016 where she was defeated by Victoria Azarenka.

Williams’ last appearance in Indian Wells came in 2019 when she suffered a third-round exit at the hands of Garbine Muguruza. The American never won the women’s doubles title in Indian Wells with her best performance being reaching the semifinals in 2001.