"Dreams without goals are just dreams" - Former NCAA champion Ethan Quinn rejoices after fulfilling one of his 2024 goals with Indian Wells heroics
About Indian Wells Masters 2024
Indian Wells Masters 2024 Introduction
(Image Credits: Getty Images)
The Indian Wells Masters, also called the BNP Paribas Open due to sponsorship reasons, is a professional tennis tournament that is held annually at Indian Wells, California, USA. The tournament hosts events for both men and women, and is among the biggest competitions on the tennis calendar. Normally, Indian Wells is organized in the month of March, and is played on the outdoor hard courts of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
In 2024, the Indian Wells Masters will be held between March 3-17. The event is worth 1000 points on both men’s and women’s circuits, and the prize money is a whopping $19,000,000 for 2024. Outside of the four Grand Slam tournaments, Indian Wells is often termed as the “Fifth Major” due to its hype and commendable turnouts every year. The BNP Paribas Open has 128 entrants in both men’s and women’s singles, and is the first of the two ‘Sunshine Double’ events.
Ahead of the Indian Wells Masters 2024, the defending champions are Carlos Alcaraz in men’s singles, Elena Rybakina in women’s singles, Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden in men’s doubles and Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova in women’s doubles.
Indian Wells Masters History
The Indian Wells Masters was founded by former professional tennis players Charlie Pasarell and Raymond Moore. Before being named the Indian Wells Masters/BNP Paribas Open, the event had a plethora of other names. Indian Wells has its roots in the 1970s, when Jimmy Connors won the inaugural on-tour edition of the competition in 1976.
Ever since then, Indian Wells has gradually evolved into a premier tennis event during the course of the season. It has been no stranger to controversy; most notably, the Williams sisters saga marred the event - Venus and Serena Williams refused to play at Indian Wells from 2001 to 2014 due to accusations of match fixing and racist chants in 2001.
The Indian Wells Masters expanded to its multi-week format in 2004, and soon became the most attended and watched tennis event outside the four Grand Slams. In 2009, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden was sold to Larry Ellison (Co-Founder of Oracle). The very same year, French banking company BNP Paribas acquired the naming rights for the tournament; the group also remains one of the primary sponsors of the Indian Wells Masters.
Indian Wells Masters 2024 Schedule
Date
Event
March 3
WTA Qualifying
March 4-5
ATP/WTA Qualifying
March 6-7
ATP/WTA Round-1
March 8-9
ATP/WTA Round-2
March 10-11
ATP/WTA Round-3
March 12
ATP/WTA Round-4
March 13-14
ATP/WTA Quarterfinals
March 15
WTA Semifinals
March 16
ATP Semifinals
March 17
ATP/WTA Finals
Indian Wells Masters 2024 Venue
The Indian Wells Masters 2024 is held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It is a professional tennis facility in Indian Wells, California, USA near Palm Springs. The complex has two main stadiums: Stadium 1 has a capacity of over 16,000 and Stadium 2 can hold over 8,000 fans. Larry Ellison is the owner of the property, and it is managed by PM Sports Management.
The Indian Wells Tennis Garden was initially opened in March 2000, and then reopened in March 2014 after its expansion. The original construction cost was an approximate $77 million, and was designed by architectural firm Rossetti Architects. Incidentally, it is the second largest outdoor stadium in the world and acts as the venue of a joint ATP-WTA competition annually.
Since 2012, Indian Wells has offered equal prize money to both men and women. However, reports stated that in comparison to 2023, there has been a significant reduction in prize money for singles champions and finalists. The allocation is as follows:
Event
Winner
Runner-Up
Semi-Finalists
Singles
$1,100,000
$585,000
$325,000
Doubles
$447,3000
$236,800
$127,170
Indian Wells Masters 2024 Points Distribution
Being a Masters-1000/WTA-1000 event, the Indian Wells Masters tournament is worth a sizable amount of points. However, the previous winners and runners up have the immense pressure of defending their points from the previous year. 10 points awarded to players who exit in Round-1 on both circuits. Only upon reaching Round-4, the ATP awards 90 points, and the WTA awards 120 points.
Event
Winner
Finalists
Semi-Finalists
Singles
1000
600 ATP/650 WTA
360 ATP/390 WTA
Doubles
1000
600 ATP/650 WTA
360 ATP/390 WTA
Indian Wells Masters 2024 Top Ranked Players
Men’s Singles:
Novak Djokovic - World No.1 (1st Seed)
Carlos Alcaraz - World No.2 (2nd Seed)
Jannik Sinner - World No.3 (3rd Seed)
Daniil Medvedev - World No.4 (4th Seed)
Andrey Rublev - World No.5 (5th Seed)
Alexander Zverev - World No.6 (6th Seed)
Holger Rune - World No.7 (7th Seed)
Hubert Hurkacz - World No.8 (8th Seed)
Women’s Singles:
Iga Swiatek - World No.1 (1st Seed)
Aryna Sabalenka - World No.2 (2nd Seed)
Elena Rybakina - World No.4 (3rd Seed)
Coco Gauff - World No.3 (4th Seed)
Jessica Pegula - World No.5 (5th Seed)
Ons Jabeur - World No.6 (6th Seed)
Zheng Qinwen - World No.7 (7th Seed)
Marketa Vondrousova - World No.8 (8th Seed)
(Image Credits: Getty Images)
Indian Wells Masters Most Successful Players
One of the most keenly anticipated tournaments of the year, the BNP Paribas Open has all the top players in the world gunning for the trophy every year. In the men’s singles, two icons of the game - Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic share the crown for the most successful player (five titles each). Coming to the women’s singles, nine women have won two titles each; this includes the likes of Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams. Coming to the doubles, Guy Forget (5) and Lisa Raymond (7) have won the most championships in men’s and women’s doubles, respectively.
Where to Watch Indian Wells Masters 2024
The 2024 Indian Wells Masters will have a wide range of domestic as well as international broadcast outlets. Within the USA, Tennis Channel has exclusive rights to live coverage of the BNP Paribas Open. Moreover, live streaming will be available on ATP TV and WTA TV too. Coming to international coverage, here is the list:
ATP:
United Kingdom/Northern Ireland: Amazon
Australia: beINSports Australia
African Regions: Canal+ Africa or SuperSport Africa
South America & Caribbean: ESPN International Latam
European Regions: EuroSport or Sky
India: Viacom18
WTA:
United Kingdom/Northern Ireland: Amazon
Australia: beINSports Australia
Spain & Canada: DAZN
South America: ESPN
Caribbean: Sportsmax
African Regions: SuperSport Africa
European Regions: Tennis Channel
FAQs
A. The Indian Wells Masters or BNP Paribas Open is held annually in California, USA. The tournament takes place at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
A. In the men’s singles, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer hold the record for most titles won (five each). However, the most successful player overall is Lisa Raymond in women’s doubles (seven titles).
A. The Indian Wells Masters normally takes place in the month of March. In 2024, the dates of the competition are March 3 to March 17.
A. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden has a 16,000+ capacity Stadium-1, an 8,000+ capacity Stadium-2 and 29 regulation hard courts.
