I'm personally not a fan of the Williams sisters. They're great players for sure, hit very hard, but it's just not my preferred style. I don't like some of their remarks either. They seem kinda arrogant sometimes for me. But fir many reasons they're very important to the sport. With regards to that incident, I do think it had a racial and gender tone. Racism is not an objective and obvious issue as many would think. Here in Brazil it's much more subliminar, but nonetheless not less relevant. People may be racist or xenophobic without knowing. It may be part of the common sense of a certain group of people, so you don't even contest it. I think Indian Wells' was a racial incident because it just doesn't make sense to boo and say improper things to the Williams family if you know Venus had to retire due to wrist problems. And the problem is that had she entered the match and lost easily, maybe the situation wouldn't happen (at least not so intensely), but certainly many would say it was arranged as a conspiracy for Serena to win (what wouldn't be fair at all in this case). So why did Venus had to play if she just couldn't? Would the fans react the same way if the same event happened with, let me say, the Bryan brothers? Anyway, I think is defensable to say it wasn't a racial stuff, but I'm deeply sorry for those that not only don't criticize what happened that day but support it and wish the "withdraw from tennis". People who say that just can't blame the French crowd for being inelegant or criticize the Dubai tournament for not allowing Sharah Peer to play on it. You just can't mix up sports with personal, politics, ethnic, religious issues. This (sport) is the place for the embracement of the alterity, not for segregation. It's just not possible to say with conviction that anyone would do different if one were treated like the Williams' sisters were that day.
