Indian Wells fact file: All you need to know

When is the Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open?

The 2021 Open will be held from 7-17 October. The hard-court ATP Masters 1000 tournament, established in 1976, will take place at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California.

The tournament director is former World No. 2 Tommy Haas.

Daniil Medvedev reacts to winning the Men’s Singles championship at the 2021 US Open. Photo: Garrett Ellwood/USTA

Who is playing at the 2021 event?

The event this year will feature 16 of the Top 20 players in the ATP Rankings, led by Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Matteo Berrettini.

In the women’s draw there is no Ash Barty, Naomi Osaka, or Aryna Sabalenka, who tested covid positive at the weekend, but US Open champion Emma Raducanu and runner-up Leylah Fernandez will be there, along with Karolina Pliskova, Iga Swiatek, Barbora Krejcikova and Elina Svitolina.

Some of the big names in men’s tennis are not at this year’s event; Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as well as defending champion Dominic Thiem.

When is the draw for the BNP Paribas Open?

The Indian Wells draw will be made on Tuesday, 5 October at 3pm.

What is the schedule for the event?

  • Qualifying: Tuesday, 5 October – Wednesday, 6 October from 11am.
  • Main Draw: Thursday, 7 October – Sunday, 17 October. 11am start.
  • Doubles Finals: Saturday, 16 October at 11am.
  • Singles Finals: Sunday, 17 October at 4pm.
Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer at the BNP Paribas Open in 2019. Photo: Chryslene Caillaud, Internatiponal Sports Fotos Ltd

Who won the last BNP Paribas Open in 2019?

Dominic Thiem won the 2019 singles title with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over Roger Federer. Nikola Mektic and Horacio Zeballos lifted the doubles trophy with a 4-6, 6-4, 10-3 victory against Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo.

Who holds the Indian Wells records?

Most Titles, Singles: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer (5)

Most Titles, Doubles: Mark Knowles, Daniel Nestor (4)

Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 35, in 2017

Youngest Champion: Boris Becker, 19, in 1987

Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Jimmy Connors in 1976, Jim Courier in 1993, Pete Sampras in 1994-95, Lleyton Hewitt in 2002-03, Roger Federer in 2004-06, Rafael Nadal in 2009, Novak Djokovic in 2015-16

Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 143 Larry Stefanki in 1985

Last Home Champion: Andre Agassi in 2001

Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (66)

Did You Know?

Stadium 1 at the Open is the second largest tennis-specific stadium in the world, with a capacity of more than 16,000.

The tournament is usually held in March and is the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is taking place in October in 2021.

Prize money

The 2021 BNP Paribas Open has a total prize pool of $16,7 million and the men’s and women’s singles winners will each walk away with a $1,209,730.

Winners: $1,209,730

Runners-up: $640,000

Semi-finalists: $335,000

Quarter-finalists: $175,000

Bianca Andreescu won the women’s singles title at the BNP Paribas Open in 2019.
Peter Rowe

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