Indian Wells to expand men's event to 2 weeks this fall

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) - The BNP Paribas Open featuring the men's and women's combined tennis tours will expand the men's event from one week to two when it returns in October after a 2 1/2-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The event will be played Oct. 4-17 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

The first-ever fall edition of the tournament was already scheduled to include a 96-player singles draw and 32-team doubles draw, and now the men's event will have the same size fields.

When the fall date was first announced in July, the men's event was limited to a 56-player singles draw and 28-team doubles draw.

The tournament will require all fans, staff, sponsors and vendors to be fully vaccinated to gain access.

Depending on COVID-19 conditions at the time of the tournament, additional testing as well as mask mandates in certain seating areas may be required by the Riverside County health department and state of California. The players will follow protocols set by the ATP and WTA tours.

The tournament is set to return to its usual March spot on the calendar in 2022.

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