advertisement

Indian Wells tennis to be played Oct. 4-17 in SoCal desert

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) - The BNP Paribas Open featuring the men's and women's combined tennis tours will be played Oct. 4-17 in the Southern California desert after a 2 1/2-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The tournament will feature prize money of $15.3 million, organizers said Thursday. The men's draw will include 56 players in singles and 28 teams in doubles. The women's draw will have 96 players in singles and 32 teams in doubles.

Fans will be required to show valid proof of full vaccination to enter Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Depending on COVID-19 conditions at the time, additional testing and mask mandates in certain seating areas may be required by the Riverside County health department and the state of California.

Players will be required to follow protocols set by the ATP and WTA tours.

Dominic Thiem won the men's title and Bianca Andreescu was the women's champion when the event was last played in March 2019.

The event never began last year after a case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the Coachella Valley, where many players were already in the desert practicing.

The tournament typically draws upwards of 450,000 fans to Indian Wells, located 110 miles east of Los Angeles. It is referred to as the 'œfifth slam'ť because of its popularity among the players and its stature, ranking points and prize money that place it one rung below tennis' four Grand Slam tournaments.

The two-week tournament will go back to its usual spot in March in 2022.

___

More AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Switzerland's Roger Federer plays a return during the men's singles second round match against Richard Gasquet of France on day four of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday July 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) The Associated Press
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.