When entering the painstakingly manicured 121-acre grounds of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for Day 1 of the 2019 BNP Paribas Open, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the beauty offered up by both the Coachella Valley itself and the iconic sporting event that makes its home here.
The BNP Paribas Open was voted the Tournament of the Year in 2018 by both ATP men and WTA women for the fifth consecutive year, and one is immediately enveloped by the gorgeous vistas and the excitement spurred when all the best tennis players in the world converge here—but beyond the beautiful surroundings, this event is also defined by the many residents of our valley who fill all types of roles crucial to the success of this two-week tennis bacchanal.
From ball persons to security personnel, to groundskeepers and ushers, you’ll find CV residents present to welcome throngs of fans—totaling more than 450,000 last year. (To see photos of just a few of our involved neighbors, scroll down below.)
The on-court competition ramps up gradually from Days 1 and 2, when the qualifying matches for the main draw play out across the 29 courts. For the first time this year, the night of Day 2 featured the Eisenhower Cup event, a curious hybrid exhibition/competition featuring eight of the world’s best-known ATP players engaged in a form of high-speed tennis known as Tie-Break-Ten. Hosted in its inaugural appearance by perennial fan favorite Rafael Nadal, the world’s No. 2-ranked player, the players face off in four quarterfinal matches, followed by two semi-finals and then the championship, which was won by Milos Raonic.
While the uncharacteristically cold and wet winter weather showed up again as play was about to begin, it could not dampen the fun or attraction of the risk-taking tennis that entertained the crowd late into the night. All proceeds from ticket sales are to be donated to local charities—making this kickoff event a true celebration of the best the world of sports can deliver.
See images from the opening days of the BNP Paribas Open below.
