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When Aryna Sabalenka’s on-court intensity translates into campy, self-congratulatory TikToks, harmony is felt and sense is made. But Jannik’s on-court persona, tightly controlled like an unseasoned chicken breast, respectfully, need not be repackaged for YouTube. Because where is the flavor?!?

“To create one’s own world takes courage.” —Georgia O’Keefe

These days, American college tennis is barely that: American

Sure, game-play conditions may vary, and a maintained court is more enticing for actual play, but as purely aesthetic fascinations, the inherently satisfying rationality of court design endures. 

Frenchman Arthur Fils—the charisma bomb—is back and looking better than ever.

Racquet’s See You In Court is a regular column in which Melissa Kenny, a famously mediocre lifelong player, opines on pro tennis. She also writes Hard Hitting, a Substack about the thrills and frustrations of recreational tennis.

Our Managing Editor Wendy Laird is on the grounds and has Dispatches from the Desert coming in on a regular basis: Today the BNP Paribas Open is over. Long live the BNP Paribas Open.

There’s something wonderful about seeing “closed for the season” on a hotel’s website. They’re just four words, but they say so much: we don’t wring every penny from this property; this location has a “season;” this hotel values your experience far too much to stay open during sub-par weather. “Closed for the season” has a lot of sexy indifference to it; it makes you want to visit even more.

By the end of the week, it was hard to tell what felt more fragile: the schedule, the draw, the final, or the belief that sport can stay separate from the world around it.

World No. 5 Jessica Pegula has had a busy few weeks. From lifting the trophy in Dubai for her fourth Masters 1000 title to becoming Blueair’s air wellness ambassador, her results call attention to what many of us already know: sleep hygiene, including managing air quality, is an important part of recovery and overall health.

For the uninitiated, we humbly present the following guide to the area surrounding the area. While by no means exhaustive, here are some picks for places of interest while on your way to and from the tournament: some restaurants, sights and even a couple places to stay. And if you’ve been to Indian Wells before, welcome back: It’s going to be another great year.

With the call to prayer echoing in the evening, you can even pick up a slight scent of aromatic oud in the air.