KRISTEN’S KOURT: Indian Wells Calling

Written by: Staff on 5th March 2013

KRISTEN'S KOURT: Indian Wells Calling |

By Kristen Tracy

The 2013 BNP Paribas Open may have officially gotten underway yesterday, but I don’t get to join the party until this weekend. But let me tell you, I am looking so forward to spending nine whole days at one of my favorites places ever with some of the most amazing people ever.

There are a lot of reasons why I love this tournament, but here are 4 reasons why the BNP Paribas Open needs to be officially named the fifth slam:

1. You Can’t Beat the Beautiful Desert Scenery

You’ve seen the pictures from the tournament. Beautiful blue skies, gorgeous mountains in the background. Very few places can beat the weather at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in March. Sure it gets a little windy, but it doesn’t at all deter from the magnificent atmosphere. It can get pretty hot during the day (like the desert often does), and at night it becomes rather chilly. But there’s still something about this tournament that is just right.

2. It’s Home to the Second Largest Stadium in the World

There is only one stadium on the entire ATP and WTA tours that bests Stadium 1 in its capacity and design – and that’s Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. And while the outer courts still have some catching up to do to even be compared with the grand slams, major renovations to the site planned over the next two years already have people say “oooh” and “ahhh.”

3. A Big Tournament Has Never Felt More Intimate

When you think of the biggest tournaments on tour, you don’t immediately think “intimate.” It’s not easy for a tournament that hosts upward of 400,000 fans over the course of two weeks to maintain the allure and excitement of a smaller venue, but somehow the BNP Paribas Open has managed to do just that. It’s crowded yes, but they cater to the fans so effortlessly that it seems like second nature. Most of the practice courts are completely open, allowing fans to get within mere inches from their favorite players. Even those courts that are gated are equipped with bleachers around them so that those who wish to watch the pros perfect their technique can do so comfortably. And new to the grounds this year is a special grassy area that has added seating so that fans can watch the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal compete in a friendly soccer match between matches. This makes those sometimes dreaded grounds passes a much hotter commodity than in previous years.

4. The Players LOVE It!

The BNP Paribas Open was recently named the favorite among both ATP and WTA players for a non-major (that is, the 4 Grand Slams) tournament. When you consider the number of tournaments on both tours in a year, that’s a pretty big honor. The fans love the BNP Paribas Open because it gives them access to their favorite players like no other tournament can. And the players love it for that exact same reason. Unlike a lot of other athletes, professional tennis players love to engage their fans. Maybe it’s because tennis still isn’t considered very “mainstream” in the world of sports and it’s the fans that maintain the level of exposure it does receive. As with any other sport, tennis fans really can make or break a player/tournament. And in the case of the BNP Paribas Open, it is a collaborative effort between the fans and players that makes the tournament so enjoyable and continues to break attendance records every year.

Follow Kristen on Twitter! @KristensKourt

http://4theloveof10s.wordpress.com

Topics: American tennis news, BNP Paribas tennis news, California tennis news, Indian Wells Tennis News, Kristen Tracy