BNP Paribas Open Returning To Indian Wells In October

INDIAN WELLS, CA — Southland tennis fans will get to see their favorite event return to the desert in 2021 — and the Coachella Valley may recoup millions of dollars in revenue.

The BNP Paribas Open will play out at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden this October, although exact dates are being finalized pending confirmation of the ATP and WTA Tour calendars, Tournament Director Tommy Haas announced Thursday.

The iconic Masters 1000 tournament — informally dubbed the fifth Grand Slam — has been a spring standard in Southern California but hasn't played out since 2019 due to COVID-19. Austria's Dominic Thiem and Canada's Bianca Andreescu are the reigning singles champions from that 2019 event.

It's unclear how many top players will make their way to the desert this fall. Several of the game's best may have an extra booking in their schedules this year: The Tokyo Olympics that kick off in late July.

The final Grand Slam of the season, the U.S. Open in New York, wraps up in mid-September. In between and beyond there are other tournaments players surely have etched into their calendars. There's also the late-September Laver Cup in Boston that was founded by Swiss G.O.A.T. Roger Federer.

But Haas, a former top pro who played for Germany, told Tennis.com that both the ATP and WTA Tours are on board with the Indian Wells October timeframe.

"We've had great talks with both tours and the players, who are very excited about having this event in the fall. It may be a little bit hotter in the desert at that time of year, but overall, I think it's going to be fantastic!" he said.

WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said, "We are excited to be back in the desert at one of the most prestigious events on the WTA and ATP Tour calendars. We would like to recognize the hard work and commitment the entire BNP Paribas Open team has put forth in order to stage this world-class tournament this October.”

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said, “Since the resumption of the Tour in August 2020, we have had to take an agile approach to the calendar with the aim of staging as many of our events as possible. Everyone in our sport has missed the BNP Paribas Open over the past two years and its return this October is great for tennis. The calendar is extremely complex and I would like to thank all events in that section of the season, as we look to accommodate these changes for the benefit of the overall sport.”

All city, county and state COVID-19 health mandates in place come October will be implemented during the tournament, BNP Paribas officials said. That includes ATP and WTA health protocols.

It's unknown how many tickets will be available for the event. ATP and WTA tournaments currently underway around the globe have restricted the number of fans to comply with mandates and prevent COVID-19 spread.

The BNP Paribas Open 2020 cancellation dealt an estimated $400 million loss to the Coachella Valley.

BNP Paribas Open ticket, suite, and hotel packages are anticipated to be on sale starting June 21. Fans should visit bnpparibasopen.com and sign-up for email updates to stay up to date with information pertaining to the event.

It's not immediately clear whether the BNP Paribas Open will return to its spring schedule in 2022.