The 2016 edition of the BNP Paribas Open is about to begin. This is one of the featured events on the tennis calendar. Most of the big names will show up for a tournament with a larger field than any other non-Grand Slam event on tour, save for Miami. The prize money is big. There are days off between early-round matches. The event takes a week and a half instead of just the normal seven days. This is a very big deal.
The competition in the 96-player main draw began on Thursday, March 10.
Event Details
Event: BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells)
Category: ATP World Tour – Masters 1000
Date: March 10 – March 20, 2016
Location: Indian Wells Tennis Garden – Indian Wells, California
With a prize money allotment of $7,037,445, the 1,000-point tournament is a big prize on the ATP Tour. This is sometimes called the ‘fifth Slam,” recognizing that it’s the most lucrative event after the four Grand Slam events. It’s the first 1,000-point tournament of the season, and since it’s quickly followed by another 1,000-point tournament in Miami just a few days after it ends, it’s the chance for players to pounce when their legs are still fresh. When they travel to Miami, they might not have as much energy. This is really the tournament in which a lot of players find out how good they are against top competition on hardcourts.
The points structure under the ATP system is that the championship means 1,000 points. A runner-up finish is worth 600. A semifinal result is 360 points, and a quarterfinal appearance offers 180 points. A round-of-16 results provides 90 points, a round-of-32 showing 45 points.
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2015 – Novak Djokovic def. Roger Federer – 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2
2014 – Novak Djokovic def. Roger Federer – 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3)
2013 – Rafael Nadal def. Juan Martin del Potro – 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
2012 – Roger Federer def. John Isner – 7-6 (7), 6-3
2011 – Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal – 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Player Info:
Indian Wells and Miami are the two tournaments on the ATP Tour with 96-player fields – not the 128 you see at a major, but also much greater than the 64-player fields you see at the seven other Masters 1000 events held during the tennis season. When you get 96 players into a tournament with considerable prize money, you know you’re going to have a strong field, with the top players such as Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, and Andy Murray on hand. Roger Federer will not play, but only because he’s still recuperating from a recent injury. Rafael Nadal, Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer, Juan Martin del Potro, and almost all of the other members of the top 10 of the ATP rankings will participate in this tournament. Players don’t skip this tournament unless they’re hurt, as is the case with Federer. You’ll see some players skip Miami, but they don’t skip both Indian Wells on the front end.
Indian Wells Tennis Garden
The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is a sprawling tennis facility with a full-service, year-round tennis club. The Garden hosts clinics, skills challenges, and technology-assisted tennis activities on a regular basis, for both adults and junior tennis players. The modern version of the facility was built in 2000, and a number of relatively recent developments have occurred to augment the tennis complex even more.
Indian Wells is mostly hosted in the 16,100 seat Stadium 1, which is one of the most luxurious stadiums in the world. Inside, there are 44 stadium suites, broadcast and media facilities and an 8,000 square feet of food commissary. There’s also a large Tennis Garden, which has opened a permanent Stadium 2 in 2014, with 8,000 seats, and there you’ll find a total of three fine dining restaurants. One of those restaurants is the critically acclaimed Nobu, which is a world-famous Japanese restaurant. To add to the experience, the site also features two 19,000 square foot shade structures, which is perfect for sunny days, as well as 29 world-class courts, eight acres of outdoor exposition space and 54 acres of outdoor parking. It’s easy to get to, there’s plenty of parking and the stadium itself is just one of the top places to watch tennis action in the world.
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