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The 2022 BNP Paribas Open, scheduled to be held from March 10-20, will mark the 45th edition of the men's singles tournament at Indian Wells. Billed as the fifth Slam of the year, the prestigious ATP Masters 1000 event has attracted a bevy of top stars.
The 96-player field will be led by Daniil Medvedev, who will play his first tournament as the World No. 1. However, all eyes will be on Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal, who is currently on a 15-match unbeaten streak.
With top-20 stars and former champions in the fray, there will be some high-octane action in store for fans over the course of the fortnight.
On that note, here's all the information you need to know about the BNP Paribas Open:
What is the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells?
The BNP Paribas Open is one of the biggest events on the tennis calendar after the four Grand Slams. It was first held in Arizona (1974-75) before moving to three venues in California. From Rancho Mirage (1976-80), the tournament shifted to La Quinta (1981-86) and finally to its current home in Indian Wells in 1987.
It was staged as a non-tour event from 1974 to 1976 after which it became a part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour as a secondary event. In 1987, it attained the status of a Grand Prix Super Series tournament, which is just below the four Majors and the Year-End Finals in importance.
The BNP Paribas Open is the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the year on the men's tour, while the women's competition is part of the WTA 1000 category.
It is the first of the two events that form the Sunshine Double, with the other being the Miami Open.
Both the men's and women's sides have seen a slew of legendary players lift the trophy in the past. Past men's champions include Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Both Federer and Djokovic have tasted glory at this event five times while Nadal has triumphed thrice.
Among the women, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka have gone on to win the title.
The last edition, which was held in October 2021 due to the pandemic, was won by Cameron Norrie (men's singles) and Paula Badosa (women's singles).
Venue
The BNP Paribas Open will be held on hardcourt (Plexipave) at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, United States.
Players
Daniil Medvedev, who is leading the pack, will be chasing his first title of the season at the BNP Paribas Open. The top seed could run into the in-form fourth seed Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. The Spaniard has beaten the Russian twice already this year.
Nadal will be eyeing his fourth Indian Wells title to add to his triumphs in 2007, 2009 and 2013.
Five-time champion Novak Djokovic is seeded second, although his participation remains doubtful. Due to his unvaccinated status, it remains to be seen if Djokovic will be allowed to enter the USA.
Alexander Zverev will return to action at Indian Wells as the third seed following a suspended ban of eight weeks. The German was withdrawn from the Mexican Open, fined and forced to forfeit his Acapulco prize money and ranking points for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud round out the top eight seeds. Defending champion Cameron Norrie, winner of this year's Delray Beach Open, has been seeded 12th.
Also in the mix are Rio champion Carlos Alcaraz and Rotterdam winner Felix Auger-Aliassime, both of whom will be keen to make a statement.
Schedule
The qualifying rounds of the men's singles event in Indian Wells are being held on March 8 and 9. The main draw action will kickstart on March 10, with the grand finale scheduled for March 20.
All 32 seeds have received first-round byes and will begin their respective campaigns in the round of 64.
Prize Money
The total financial commitment is $9,554,920 while the prize money for the BNP Paribas Open is $8,584,055. The men's singles winner will collect a cheque worth $1,231,245 and 1000 ranking points.
Where to watch
Viewers from the US can catch all the action in Indian Wells live on Tennis TV, while fans in the UK will be able to see it live on Amazon Prime Video. Canadians can watch the matches live on TSN (English Language) & TVA (French Language).
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