The Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open is upon us again, and all the news we’ve been reading points to another thrilling event.
The BNP Paribas Open is held at the prestigious Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It is the biggest Masters 1000/WTA 1000 event and fans of ggbet esports call it a “fifth Grand Slam” because it attracts the top tennis players in the world, features a high level of competition, and attracts a large attendance.
This year will be no different if we go by the just released lists of players that have entered to compete this year – a roster of top-ranked players – including reigning and former champions.
This article details why you should anticipate the BNP Paribas Open and what to look for during the event.
Significance of the Tournament in the Tennis Calendar
The BNP Paribas Open is the fifth-biggest tennis event, often called the fifth Grand Slam. But while it is not a Grand Slam event, here are some features that make it so significant in the tennis calendar:
- It is the first combined Masters 1000/WTA 1000 event of the year, allowing fans to enjoy highly competitive male and female games.
- Largest prize money after the Grand Slams – total prize money was raised from $17.6 million to over $19 million in 2024[1]. While it’s still a fraction of the Grand Slams, it offers way more than the rest, aside from the Miami Open.
- Features the top players – Its prize money does enough to attract the best players, who show up every year to compete for the big bucks.
- Winning games in the event improves players’ seasonal ranking toward the ATP finals.
Unique Features of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and its Impact on Play
The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is one of the most famous locations in the tennis world. Here are some of the reasons why:
- Stadium size: With a seating capacity of 16,100, Stadium 1 is the second-biggest purpose-built tennis stadium worldwide. Its Stadium 2 also features a significant 8,000 seats. These enable an electric atmosphere during competitions.
- Multiple courts: The facility hosts 29 regulations hard courts, including 18 match courts and 11 practice courts.
- Climate: Its desert climate offers dry and warm conditions, which can affect the speed and bounce of the ball.
- Accessible layout: The layout of the complex allows fans to move easily between courts.
Players to Watch in Both Men’s and Women’s Draws
The 2025 player field promises to be a cracker in both the men’s and women’s draws. Multiple storylines are being developed, records are being chased, and possible upsets to look forward to. Here are some of the players to watch in this year’s event:
Men’s Draws
- Novak Djokovic – Former World No. 1, five-time champion and only man to three-peat the competition. Djoker will be hoping to win his first title on tour since 2023. If he achieved this, he would have also prevented Carlos Alcaraz from matching his record.
- Carlos Alcaraz – Current champion for two years running, Alcaraz will be hoping to be only the second man to three-peat the BNP Paribas Open title. He’s still the favorite to win, however, as he has one up over almost every other serious contender.
- Daniil Medvedev – Medvedev will hope for better luck this time after making it to the last two finals at this event and losing to Alcaraz on both occasions.
- Alexander Zverev – After a phenomenal year, which saw him win two major tour titles in 2024, World No. 2 Zverev will still be ruing his Australian Open final loss to Jannik Sinner in January. He will want to add a first Indian Wells Masters title to his drawer while he still waits for his first Grand Slam win.
- Taylor Fritz – California native is a former champion in Indian Wells (2022) and also reached the semifinals in 2021. Fritz is up to No. 4 in the world thanks in part to a runner-up finish at the 2024 U.S. Open.
Women’s Draws
- Iga Swiatek – Current champion and world No. 2, Swiatek hopes to become the first-ever woman to win three Indian Wells titles, having also won it in 2022.
- Aryna Sabalenka – The world No. 1 will be hoping to win her first title of the year after losing to Madison Keys in the final of the Australian Open in January. All this is without considering that a win will give her one leg up on her ongoing rivalry with Swiatek.
- Madison Keys – Straight off her Australian Open title run, Keys will hope to keep a year that has already begun fantastically going the same way.
- Coco Gauff – Rising star and 2024 WTA Tour champion, Gauff will hope to add a first Indian Wells title to her laurels.
- Elena Ryabinka – Former BNP Paribas Open champion hopes her experience with winning it in 2023 will help her repeat the trick this time. She will also relish another opportunity to continue her rivalry with No. 1 Sabalenka.
Possible Upsets
Apart from the most obvious contenders, tennis enthusiasts should also expect upsets in both the men’s and women’s draws, as other players are coming off the back of amazing runs in 2024 and will be pushing for glory at Tennis Paradise, including:
- Qinwen Zheng – 2024 Olympics singles winner and 2024 WTA finalist.
- Taylor Fritz – Current ATP No. 4 and coming off two Masters tour singles wins in 2024.
- Jasmine Paolini – Current WTA No. 4 and Dubai Open winner in 2024.
- Tommy Paul – Semifinalist at last year’s event, Tommy will hope to go all the way this time around to win his first Indian Wells Title after a phenomenal 2024 when he won 3 ATP titles.
- Jessica Pegula – Current WTA No. 7 and champion of two WTA Tours in 2024
[1] BNP Paribas Open announces prize money increment – BNP Paribas Open Announces Record-Setting Total Prize Money, Competition Schedule Changes
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