The Indian Wells Open, known as the BNP Paribas Open for sponsorship reasons, is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California, United States. It is played on outdoor hardcourts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, and is held in March. The tournament is part of the ATP 1000 events on the ATP Tour and part of the WTA 1000 events on the WTA Tour.
The tournament is the best-attended tennis tournament outside the four Grand Slam tournaments (493,440 in total attendance during the 2024 event); it is sometimes called the "fifth Grand Slam" in reference to this.BNP Paribas Open tennis finally returns to Indian Wells in October, Los Angeles Times, May 20, 2021 The Indian Wells Tennis Garden has the second-largest permanent tennis stadium in the world, behind the US Open's Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. The Indian Wells Open is the premier tennis tournament in the Western United States and the second largest tennis tournament throughout the United States and the Americas (behind the US Open in the Eastern United States).
Winning the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open in the same season is called the "Sunshine Double" — since they are a series of two elite, consecutive hard-court tournaments in the United States and are held in Florida (the Sunshine State) and the sunny desert community of Indian Wells.
Between 1974 and 1976, it was a non-tour event and between 1977 and 1989 it was held as part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour. Both singles main draws include 96 players in a 128-player grid, with the 32 seeded players getting a bye (a free pass) to the second round.
Since 2024, mixed doubles has been introduced as a new category.
Location Indian Wells lies in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area), about east of downtown Los Angeles.
The tournament is played in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden (built in 2000) which has 29 tennis courts, including the 16,100-seat main stadium, which is the second largest tennis-specific stadium in the world. After the 2013 BNP Paribas Open, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden started an expansion and upgrade of its facilities that includes a new 8,000 seat Stadium 2. The revamping of the tennis center also included a "Pro Purple" interior court color created specifically for the ATP 1000 events and first used at Indian Wells, citing the purple color being 180 degrees and exactly opposite the yellow of the ball.
History The tournament was founded by former tennis pros Charlie Pasarell and Raymond Moore. It has been known by a number of names, and accepted numerous corporate sponsorships, throughout its existence. The French multinational banking group BNP Paribas has held the naming rights since 2009.
Originally the women's tournament was held a week before the men's event. In 1996, the championship became one of the few fully combined events on both the Association of Tennis Professionals and Women's Tennis Association tours.
The Indian Wells Open has become one of the largest events on both the men's and women's tours. In 2004, the tournament expanded to a multi-week 96-player field. Winning the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open back to back has been colloquially termed the Sunshine Double. Dubbed the "Grand Slam of the West", it is the most-attended tennis tournament in the world other than the four Majors, with over 450,000 visitors during the 2015 event.
In 2009, the tournament and the Indian Wells Tennis Garden were sold to Larry Ellison.Charlie Pasarell and Co. keep tennis' desert palace glitteringBNP Paribas Open Announces Larry Ellison As New Owner
On March 8, 2020, the tournament was postponed, and later canceled, to halt the potential spread of COVID-19.
A new category, mixed doubles, was introduced in 2024, with Storm Hunter and Matthew Ebden claiming the title in its very first edition.
Williams sisters boycott
Venus and Serena Williams refused to play the Indian Wells tournament from 2001 to 2014 despite threats of financial sanctions and ranking point penalties. The two were scheduled to play in the 2001 semifinal but Venus withdrew due to an injury. Amid speculation of match fixing, the crowd for the final loudly booed Serena when she came out to play the final and continued to boo her intermittently through the entire match, even to the point of cheering unforced errors and double faults. Williams won the tournament and was subsequently booed during the awards ceremony. Nine days later, while attending the Ericsson Open, Richard Williams, Serena and Venus's father, stated racial slurs were directed at him while in the stands at Indian Wells. He said that while he and Venus were taking their seats for the final, multiple fans used the racial slur and one spoke of skinning him alive. When asked about her father's allegations, Venus said "I heard what he heard." Indian Wells tournament director Charlie Pasarell said he was humiliated by the crowd's reaction, adding, "I was cringing when all that stuff was going on. It was unfair for the crowd to do that."
After a phone call from Larry Ellison (the multi-billionaire founder of Oracle, tennis enthusiast and most recent owner of the tournament), Serena Williams returned to Indian Wells in 2015, ending her 14-year boycott of the event. Venus Williams ended her boycott by competing in Indian Wells the next year.
Eisenhower Cup
The Eisenhower Cup is an exhibition mixed doubles tournament played the day before the start of the main draw. Teams consist of one ATP player partnered with one WTA player. Matches are played in the style of a 10pt tiebreaker, also known as Tie Break Tens. There have been 4 winning teams since the start of the mixed doubles format for the competition: Taylor Fritz/Aryna Sabalenka, Ben Shelton/Emma Navarro won once whereas Taylor Fritz/Elena Rybakina are two times champions. The 2026 prize money was $200,000, split between the two winners. The event had previously been played as a men's singles event in 2019, where Milos Raonic defeated Stan Wawrinka, and as a women's singles event in 2022 where Amanda Anisimova defeated Maria Sakkari. Other past participants include Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Iga Swiatek, and Jessica Pegula.
Past finals
Men's singles YearChampionsRunners-upScore1974 John Newcombe Arthur Ashe6–3, 7–61975 John Alexander Ilie Năstase7–5, 6–21976 Jimmy Connors Roscoe Tanner6–4, 6–4↓ Grand Prix circuit ↓1977 Brian Gottfried Guillermo Vilas2–6, 6–1, 6–31978 Roscoe Tanner Raúl Ramírez6–1, 7–6(7–5)1979 Roscoe Tanner (2) Brian Gottfried 6–4, 6–21980Final not held due to rain (tournament cancelled at the semifinal stage)1981 Jimmy Connors (2) Ivan Lendl6–3, 7–6(7–5)1982 Yannick Noah Ivan Lendl3–6, 6–2, 7–5 1983 José Higueras Eliot Teltscher6–4, 6–21984 Jimmy Connors (3) Yannick Noah6–2, 6–7(7–9), 6–31985 Larry Stefanki David Pate6–1, 6–4, 3–6, 6–31986 Joakim Nyström Yannick Noah6–1, 6–3, 6–21987 Boris Becker Stefan Edberg6–4, 6–4, 7–51988 Boris Becker (2) Emilio Sánchez7–5, 6–4, 2–6, 6–41989 Miloslav Mečíř Yannick Noah3–6, 2–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–3↓ ATP 1000 tournament ↓1990 Stefan Edberg Andre Agassi6–4, 5–7, 7–6(7–1), 7–6(8–6)1991 Jim Courier Guy Forget4–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–4)1992 Michael Chang Andrei Chesnokov6–3, 6–4, 7–51993 Jim Courier (2) Wayne Ferreira6–3, 6–3, 6–11994 Pete Sampras Petr Korda4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–21995 Pete Sampras (2) Andre Agassi7–5, 6–3, 7–51996 Michael Chang (2) Paul Haarhuis7–5, 6–1, 6–11997 Michael Chang (3) Bohdan Ulihrach4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–31998 Marcelo Ríos Greg Rusedski1999 Carlos Moyá5–7, 6–4, 6–4, 4–6, 6–22000 Àlex Corretja Thomas Enqvist6–4, 6–4, 6–32001 Andre Agassi Pete Sampras7–6(7–5), 7–5, 6–12002 Lleyton Hewitt Tim Henman6–1, 6–22003 Lleyton Hewitt (2) Gustavo Kuerten6–1, 6–12004 Roger Federer Tim Henman6–3, 6–32005 Roger Federer (2) Lleyton Hewitt6–2, 6–4, 6–42006 Roger Federer (3) James Blake7–5, 6–3, 6–02007 Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic6–2, 7–52008 Novak Djokovic Mardy Fish6–2, 5–7, 6–32009 Rafael Nadal (2) Andy Murray6–1, 6–22010 Ivan Ljubičić Andy Roddick7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–5)2011 Novak Djokovic (2) Rafael Nadal4–6, 6–3, 6–22012 Roger Federer (4) John Isner7–6(9–7), 6–32013 Rafael Nadal (3)4–6, 6–3, 6–42014 Novak Djokovic (3) Roger Federer3–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–3)2015 Novak Djokovic (4) Roger Federer6–3, 6–7(5–7), 6–22016 Novak Djokovic (5) Milos Raonic6–2, 6–02017 Roger Federer (5) Stan Wawrinka6–4, 7–52018 Roger Federer6–4, 6–7(8–10), 7–6(7–2)2019 Dominic Thiem Roger Federer3–6, 6–3, 7–52020Not held (due to COVID-19 pandemic)2021 Cameron Norrie Nikoloz Basilashvili3–6, 6–4, 6–12022 Taylor Fritz Rafael Nadal6–3, 7–6(7–5)2023 Carlos Alcaraz Daniil Medvedev6–3, 6–2 2024 Carlos Alcaraz (2) Daniil Medvedev7–6(7–5), 6–12025 Jack Draper Holger Rune6–2, 6–2 2026 Jannik Sinner Daniil Medvedev7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–4)
Women's singles YearChampionsRunners-upScore↓ Tier III tournament ↓1989 Manuela Maleeva (1/1) Jenny Byrne6–4, 6–1↓ Tier II tournament ↓1990 Martina Navratilova (1/2) Helena Suková6–2, 5–7, 6–11991 Martina Navratilova (2/2) Monica Seles6–2, 7–6(8–6)1992 Monica Seles (1/1) Conchita Martínez6–3, 6–1 1993 Mary Joe Fernández (1/2) Amanda Coetzer3–6, 6–1, 7–6(8–6)1994 Steffi Graf (1/2) Amanda Coetzer6–0, 6–41995 Mary Joe Fernández (2/2) Natasha Zvereva6–4, 6–3 ↓ Tier I tournament ↓1996 Steffi Graf (2/2) Conchita Martínez7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–5)1997 Lindsay Davenport (1/2) Irina Spîrlea6–2, 6–11998 Martina Hingis (1/1) Lindsay Davenport6–3, 6–41999 Serena Williams (1/2) Steffi Graf6–3, 3–6, 7–52000 Lindsay Davenport (2/2) Martina Hingis4–6, 6–4, 6–02001 Serena Williams (2/2) Kim Clijsters4–6, 6–4, 6–22002 Daniela Hantuchová (1/2) Martina Hingis6–3, 6–42003 Kim Clijsters (1/2) Lindsay Davenport6–4, 7–52004 Justine Henin (1/1) Lindsay Davenport6–1, 6–42005 Kim Clijsters (2/2) Lindsay Davenport6–4, 4–6, 6–22006 Maria Sharapova (1/2) Elena Dementieva6–1, 6–22007 Daniela Hantuchová (2/2) Svetlana Kuznetsova6–3, 6–42008 Ana Ivanovic (1/1) Svetlana Kuznetsova6–4, 6–3↓ Premier Mandatory tournament ↓2009 Vera Zvonareva (1/1) Ana Ivanovic7–6(7–5), 6–22010 Jelena Janković (1/1) Caroline Wozniacki6–2, 6–42011 Caroline Wozniacki (1/1) Marion Bartoli6–1, 2–6, 6–32012 Victoria Azarenka (1/2) Maria Sharapova6–2, 6–32013 Maria Sharapova (2/2) Caroline Wozniacki6–2, 6–22014 Flavia Pennetta (1/1) Agnieszka Radwańska6–2, 6–12015 Simona Halep (1/1) Jelena Janković2–6, 7–5, 6–42016 Victoria Azarenka (2/2) Serena Williams6–4, 6–42017 Elena Vesnina (1/1) Svetlana Kuznetsova6–7(6–8), 7–5, 6–42018 Naomi Osaka (1/1) Daria Kasatkina6–3, 6–2 2019 Bianca Andreescu (1/1) Angelique Kerber6–4, 3–6, 6–4 2020Not held (due to COVID-19 pandemic)↓ WTA 1000 tournament ↓2021 Paula Badosa (1/1) Victoria Azarenka7–6(7–5), 2–6, 7–6(7–2)2022 Iga Świątek (1/2) Maria Sakkari6–4, 6–12023 Elena Rybakina (1/1) Aryna Sabalenka7–6(13–11), 6–42024 Iga Świątek (2/2) Maria Sakkari6–4, 6–02025 Mirra Andreeva (1/1) Aryna Sabalenka2–6, 6–4, 6–32026 Aryna Sabalenka (1/1) Elena Rybakina3–6, 6–3, 7–6(8–6)
Men's doubles