Tennis at the BNP Paribas Open is always fifth-slam level, and we here at Racquet can confirm that 2025 is no different—in spite of the new court surface, described by some as too fast and some as too slow, making us wonder whether they’re actually bemoaning the change of balls and the way they fly through the desert air.
The first few days here at the tournament were for the die-hards. The ones who watch streaming matches all year, who know the players at every level—way below the top 100—and want to watch them try to play their way into the main draw of the BNP Paribas Open. These are people who know the practice schedule as well as the match play, who may spend more time watching the 160th in the world hone their serve than a top player who’s coming back from an injury as they play their way back to form.
Midweek, all that changed. The main draw began; crowds of tennis fans and sunworshippers and those who just really appreciate the spectacular location of this tournament filed through the gates with grounds passes or front-row seats in Stadium 1, to see the greats. There’s a reason they call this the Fifth Slam; everyone plays Indian Wells. And during the first rounds, you might get to sit courtside as a top-10 player defends their seed on an outer court.
Gusts up to 30 mph buffeted the players and the balls on Thursday, making play and spectation a more difficult endeavor. And the winds brought rain to the desert, which stopped or delayed evening matches until the next morning.
Friday dawned on snow-dusted mountains surrounding the Coachella Valley, testament to the rain and wind fans and players encountered the day before. The sun brought the pros out to the tourney’s iconic soccer field, where Tsitsidosa sat in mock-Adirondack chairs and—we can only imagine—wondered to themselves why, why they didn’t opt for BadAss as a portmanteau, and whether it was too late to change it.
The Netherlands is a low country with high aspirations where giant-killing is concerned; Stadium 1 has witnessed two such takedowns so far, as Tallon Griekspoor dethroned top seed and world number two Alexander Zverev, and perpetually-hangdog Botic van de Zandschulp eliminated a curiously subdued Novak Djokovic. On the women’s side, Ukrainians keep eliminating Americans, but at this point we feel it’s the least we can do for the embattled country.
Açai bowl purveyor Oakberry opened a new location this year inside the grounds at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, and one of us at least has been on the lookout for purple stains on desert linen, but to no avail so far. People are neater here in Tennis Paradise, or they’ve all brought a change of clothes. We will maintain a stain-count throughout the rest of the tournament and bring you the results in true Racquet fashion.
