BNP PARIBAS OPEN – MCENROE CHALLENGE FOR CHARITY PLAYERS ANNOUNCED; SAMPRAS RETURNS TO THE INDIAN WELLS TENNIS GARDENS

Written by: Staff on 11th February 2016

BNP PARIBAS OPEN - MCENROE CHALLENGE FOR CHARITY PLAYERS ANNOUNCED; SAMPRAS RETURNS TO THE INDIAN WELLS TENNIS GARDENS |

MCENROE CHALLENGE FOR CHARITY PRESENTED BY MASIMO

TO BE HELD SATURDAY, MARCH 5

PETE SAMPRAS, PAT CASH, AND ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO TO JOIN JOHN MCENROE, ANDY RODDICK, MADISON KEYS, TRACY AUSTIN AND COCO VANDEWEGHE

Exhibition To Raise Money For Charity; Complimentary Tickets Now Available

Indian Wells, Calif., Feb. 10, 2016 – The McEnroe Challenge for Charity presented by Masimo, a one-day, free admission special event scheduled for Saturday, March 5, ahead of the BNP Paribas Open, the largest ATP World Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world, will feature John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, Pat Cash, Arantxa Sanchez-Vacario, Tracy Austin, Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe, it was announced today by Chief Executive Officer Raymond Moore.

Sampras returns to the tournament for the first time since 2010 when he participated in the “Hit for Haiti” exhibition, which raised more than $1 million for relief efforts in the country following the disastrous earthquakes there. The former World No. 1 and 14-time Grand Slam Singles Champion is a two-time Singles Champion at the BNP Paribas Open, capturing back to back titles in 1994 and 1995. In addition, event namesake John McEnroe returns for the third consecutive year, Andy Roddick, Tracy Austin, Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe return for a second year, while Pat Cash and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario will make their debut at the event.

For the second consecutive year, the event will be played in a team format, with McEnroe and Roddick serving as team captains. The teams will be determined on the evening of Friday, March 4 at the Charity Reception. Each match (men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles) will consist of one set, with each game won counting as one point towards the team’s cumulative score. No ad-scoring, receiver’s choice (gender to gender in mixed doubles), and a 12-point tiebreak (six-games-all) will be used throughout the event.

In addition, the team captains may substitute a player, male or female, into any match at any time. There will be no limit on the number of substitutions that can be made. If the Team Match is tied at the end of the four matches, a 10-point super tiebreaker will be played to determine a winner. Each player on the team will be required to play at least two points within the super tiebreaker.

Each player and doubles team will represent a designated local charity, and 100 percent of the prize money ($80,000) earned – $15,000 for the winner and $5,000 for the loser of each match – will be donated to the charity the player or team represents. The designated charities will be the Andy Roddick Foundation, Eisenhower Medical Center, Patient Safety Movement Foundation, and the War Casualty Fund.

Masimo returns as the presenting sponsor for the McEnroe Challenge for Charity. Masimo is a global leader in innovative noninvasive monitoring technologies. The company will have a booth/exhibit space on the grounds of the BNP Paribas Open to showcase the MightySat™ fingertip pulse oximeter designed for general wellness and health applications including sports, fitness, and relaxation management.

“Masimo is excited to return as presenting sponsor for the McEnroe Challenge for Charity,” said Joe Kiani, founder and CEO of Masimo and founder of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. “The event is a perfect way to begin the BNP Paribas Open. We look forward to watching some of the best tennis players in the history of the game come together with new rising stars to compete and raise money for four great causes.”

On Saturday, March 5th, the gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and matches will begin at 6:00 p.m. To reserve a complimentary ticket to the McEnroe Challenge for Charity presented by Masimo (limit of four (4) per customer), please visit www.bnpparibasopen.com, call 800-999-1585 or come to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden Box Office at 78-200 Miles Avenue, Indian Wells, Calif., 92210.

About the BNP Paribas Open

The BNP Paribas Open is the largest ATP World Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world, and is held annually at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The site underwent a significant expansion in 2014 that included a new permanent Stadium 2 with 8,000 seats and three restaurants, including world-renowned Nobu; four more practice courts, an additional 19,000 square foot shade structure, and more. The tournament offers more than $10 million in prize money, and is the only event to provide the Hawkeye line challenge system on all match courts, including qualifying rounds. In 2015, more than 456,000 people attended the event. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.bnpparibasopen.com, call 800-999-1585 or visit the Indian Wells Tennis Garden box office at 78-200 Miles Avenue, Indian Wells, CA, 92210.

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas has operations in 75 countries and boasts more than 185,000 employees, including approximately 145,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its two core activities: Retail Banking & Services (comprised of Domestic Markets and International Financial Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail banking model across Mediterranean basin countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia-Pacific.