Serena may skip Hilton Head

Serena Williams, who had planned to play in next month's tournament at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, said today in Key Biscayne, Florida, that she may skip the event because of a controversy concerning the Confederate flag.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has encouraged a boycott of the state until the flag is removed from the Statehouse dome in Columbia, South Carolina.

The Confederate flag was flown by Southern states during the US Civil War from 1861-65. Some today see the flag as a reminder of Southern heritage while others view it as a grim reminder of the era of slavery.

"Wow, I didn't know that," Williams said when informed of the NAACP position. "Maybe I won't play. ... I'm not going to support anything that's putting down my race."

Williams, who is black, said she'll discuss the issue with her father before deciding whether to play in the tournament, which begins April 17. The reigning US Open champion made her comments after losing to Jennifer Capriati at the Ericsson Open on Monday.

"I'm really not involved in politics," she said. "But you know, what's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong."

Bart McGuire, head of the WTA Tour, was traveling and unavailable to comment on Williams' remarks.

Williams' sister, Venus, has yet to play this year because of tendinitis in her wrist and will miss the tournament at Hilton Head Island.