Tennis is gearing up for ‘Indian Wells,’ officially known as the BNP Paribas Open, which starts on March 2. Referred to as the ‘fifth Grand Slam,’ this California-based tournament is technically not a ‘major,’ but it holds a special place in our hearts.
A resort community in the Coachella Valley not far from Palm Springs, Indian Wells is called a ‘tennis paradise’ for good reason. The beautiful, bright and sunny locale is perfect for the game. In fact, the players from both the ATP and WTA voted BNP Paribas their favorite 1000-level tournament in 2024. Fans love it too—the event drew almost half a million fans last year, making it the most highly attended event next to the four Grand Slams.
More quick facts:
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Indian Wells is technically an ATP Masters 1000 event for the men and a WTA 1000 on the women’s tour, placing it just below the Grand Slams in terms of prestige and prize money. This means the winners receive 1000 points toward their status on the world tennis ranking list. By comparison, a Grand Slam win earns a player 2000 points. There are also 500 and 250 series tournaments where lower-ranked players often compete to snag the points needed to rise.
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Champions at Indian Wells take home over a million dollars. BNP Paribas, the primary sponsor, is a global investment bank based in Paris.
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There are a series of prestigious 1000-level tournaments throughout the year, including the Miami Open, the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, the Paris Masters for men and the Dubai Championships for women.
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Indian Wells and the Miami Open are referred to as ‘the Sunshine Double’ as the Florida tournament begins immediately after. Only four women, most recently Iga Swiatek, and seven men have managed to win both in the same year. Djokovic did it four times, holding the current record on that stat.
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The men play best out of three sets at Indian Wells, as opposed to the Grand Slam standard best of five.
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Ninety-six players compete for the trophy on both men's and women's sides of the tournament in a 128-player bracket allowing the top 32-seed players a bye in the first round.
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What to look for this year: Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek are the defending champions. Both players will no doubt be hungry for a trophy, as each lost in the Australian Open semi-finals at the start of the 2025 season. Aryna Sabalenka came up short in the Australian Open final, losing to Madison Keys. Will there be a rematch in the California desert? Can’t wait to watch the new rivalries being established for 2025.
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The Indian Wells Tennis Garden, as the tournament complex is known, includes a stadium court painted in ‘Pro-Purple,’ a color directly opposite from bright yellow on the color wheel to provide maximum contrast and ball visibility.
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The California tournament is a favorite with celebs. Tennis fans Zendaya and Tom Holland were in the stands last year. Ben Stiller, Charlize Theron, Gwen Stefani, Chris Jenner and Patrick Mahomes have also been spotted taking in the action at Indian Wells.
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Shout out to the Indian Wells social media team. Last year they placed various players throughout the grounds working as security guards, cashiers, and parking attendants, producing downright hilarious content. For example, a fan tells Danil Medvedev that he could pass for ‘Medvedev’s brother,’ to which he responds, “I get that a lot.” If you’re there this year and someone who looks like, say, Jessica Pegula sells you a T-shirt, don’t be fooled!
Hometown Hero
Fans of tennis pro Taylor Fritz know that the California native considers Indian Wells his home tournament. His father, a former player turned coach, brought him to the Tennis Garden when he was a small child and later as a junior player. In the Netflix series Break Point, Taylor tells us that his father told him he would win the tournament one day, and that’s exactly what he did in 2021, defeating none other than Rafael Nadal. “I want to make my dad proud,” Fritz said before the big match. We were all proud, Taylor, and we’ll be rooting for you again this year.
Taylor also impressed us at the recent Australian Open. He pledged to donate his first-round prize money to help with the Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts. “I feel like if you’re in a position to help, you should,” he said. Well played.
