Players, fans alike excited about Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — For the next two weeks, all eyes in the tennis world will be focused on an amazing 54-acre, 29-court complex not far from Palm Springs.

The first week of March brings with it a tournament that both men and women look forward to competing in. The game’s best players are competing for millions of dollars in prize money as well as rankings points.

Officially, it’s called the BNP Paribas Open. Most of you simply refer to it as Indian Wells. Perhaps you’ve been there and seen for yourself what a party Larry Ellison has created at his Indian Wells Tennis Gardens.

There’s the 16,100-seat main Stadium 1, second in size only to Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York at the U.S. Open as the largest tennis venue in the world. There’s action seemingly ongoing on the side courts, where a lot of spectators gravitate to for an up-close view of the players.

Of course, there’s the food and drink options which are plentiful as you would expect. And if you need a break from tennis, there’s a band stage where you can chill out to various musical entertainers.

The players love it because they are pampered even more than usual and the vibe, call it California cool, makes even the most hardened and cynical performer relax and enjoy.

But it’s also a challenge to win here.

“It’s one of the tough tournaments, honestly, to win because of how drastic the conditions can change from morning to night, windy, cold, hot, dry,” said Jessica Pegula. “It’s a very wide variety and I think you have to be able to adapt really well.”

There’s also $9.41 million in prize money up for grabs. It’s little wonder then that the top players on both the men’s and women’s side are here to compete. They call it “The 5th Slam” for a reason. It’s a stop they all look forward to making, having recovered from January’s Australian Open and can use this event to get ready for what lies ahead, including May’s French Open in Paris.

And given the tournament is being played on U.S. soil, there’s a healthy contingent of Americans in the field. Leading the way on the men’s side is Taylor Fritz of Rancho Santa Fe, the highest-ranked American at No. 7. He won this event in 2022 and living a little more than two hours away, the 28-year-old Fritz comes as close as anyone to having a home-court advantage.

Fritz said Sunday while competing in the MGM Slam at T-Mobile Arena that he likes where his game is at heading into Indian Wells. He got to the round of 16 before falling to fifth-ranked Lorenzo Musetti and went three sets with Ben Shelton before losing in the final of the Dallas Open.

“I feel pretty good about my game in general,” Fritz said. “I’ve been able to play more consistently and practice more consistently so from repetition, things are starting to click.

“I’m serving well and I feel like I’m hitting my ground strokes well and it’s just a matter of adjusting to the conditions and dialing in a few things.”

He leads a strong group of Californians in the field. There’s Irvine’s Learner Tien, who is ranked No. 27 in the world. Veteran Brandon Nakashima of San Diego is ranked 30th, Sacramento’s Jenson Brooksby is ranked No. 41 and Alex Michelsen of Laguna Hills is ranked No. 44.
Of course, there’s Shelton, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Reilly Opelka and Sebastian Korda, all ranked in the top 70, with Shelton right behind Fritz at No. 8.

Whether any of them can break through against Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s No. 1, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, the world’s top three players, is problematic.

It may be tougher for the American women as the last time a female from the USA won here was 2001 when Serena Williams held the championship trophy. Coco Gauff, Pegula and Amanda Anisimova, who are ranked nos. 4-5-6 respectively in the WTA rankings, will have to deal with Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, the top three ranked women’s players.

All three Americans are capable of beating the top three on any given day so there is some intrigue on the women’s side. Iva Jovic of Torrence, who is currently ranked No. 18, will try and enter the conversation with a deep run. She figures to get a lot of local support from her fellow Southern Californians.

And of course, there’s Venus.

At age 45, Venus Williams still loves to play. She received a wild card entry into the main draw and while her stay is likely to be a brief one, the fact she is still competing says a lot about her love of the sport.

She played last week in Austin, losing to Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-1. Her last singles victory came last July in Washington when she won her first-round match over Peyton Stearns, 6-3, 6-4.

Last year, over half a million people attended the tournament. The numbers this year figure to be comparable, especially considering the weather is going to be ideal for most of the two weeks and the quality of the field.

Storylines abound. Can Alcaraz reclaim the crown he lost to Jack Draper a year ago? Can Fritz or another American find a way to hold the trophy? Will an American woman finally win here for the first time since Serena?

Whatever happens, it figures to be memorable. It usually is here in the desert.