Article
25 Takeaways From The 2025 BNP Paribas Open
7 Min Read · March 16, 2025
The sun has set on another year in Tennis Paradise, and the 2025 BNP Paribas Open had it all -- including a record-breaking attendance of 504,268 fans.
Each year, the Indian Wells fortnight radiates a unique positivity into the tennis world, shining its spotlight on the game’s brightest stars as they descend upon the Coachella Valley. And each year it finishes with a flourish, the champions cradling the iconic Baccarat Crystal as their names are etched into the ever growing annals of the BNP Paribas Open.
This is Tennis Paradise, and these are its stories. Without any further ado, here are 25 thoughts on the BNP Paribas Open fortnight that was.
17-year-old Mirra Andreeva took the tournament by storm this year, making history as the youngest champion in the California desert since Serena Williams in 1999. She became the third player this century to reel off a winning streak of more than ten matches before turning 21, and joins legends Steffi Graf and Serena Williams as one of three players to have defeated the World No.1 and World No.2-ranked players en route to a title before turning 18.
She did it with style. She did it with touch. She did it with toughness. She did it with talent. And as she did, Andreeva made us all wonder: if she can produce that level of tennis at 17, what will she do next?
Come back next year to find out!
Jack Draper’s three-set win over Carlos Alcaraz was an eye-opening victory that propelled the hard-hitting southpaw into his maiden Masters final. The 23-year-old Brit’s 6-2, 6-2 victory over Holger Rune in Sunday’s final was more evidence that the menacing southpaw could have staying power at the top of the game.
Draper will rise to No. 7 in Monday’s ATP rankings. He’ll always remember the time in Tennis Paradise, when he took his breathtaking game to the next level.
Novak Djokovic was back in the California desert, making his 16th career appearance at the BNP Paribas Open, 19 years after his debut in 2006. The five-time champion lost in three sets to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round but the icon’s presence was felt – and enjoyed – around the grounds by the throngs who came to watch the 37-year-old legend continue to chase history.
The desert can be chilly in the evening, but fans who bundled up and stayed for the duration were rewarded with instant classics featuring Emma Navarro and Grigor Dimitrov. Navarro solidified her growing Indian Wells legacy with a miracle comeback against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, saving two match points to get through the second round.
Dimitrov and 38-year-old Gael Monfils gave the fans one of the most electric men’s matches in recent memory, as both battled like warriors across the three-hour and one minute slugfest.
We built it and you came.
Year after year, the qualifying tournament at the BNP Paribas Open becomes bigger – and better. This year there were former Top 10 talents like Fabio Fognini mixed in with decorated players like Chris Eubanks, Cristian Garin, Taylor Townsend and Ajla Tomljanovic. Throw in a cluster of rising Americans playing for a chance at a lifelong dream and you have a Hollywood script in the making.
The man, the myth, the legend. 38-year-old Monfils edged American Sebastian Korda 7-6(2), 7-6(4) to become the third-oldest player to ever reach the third round at a Masters 1000 event. The Frenchman continues to play at a level that belies his age, and all we can say is thank you, Lamonf.
The future is NOW. That’s the message we got from the performance of 17-year-old wunderkind Mirra Andreeva during the Indian Wells fortnight. The teen sensation toppled two-time champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals to reach her first BNP Paribas Open final.
Holger Rune has made a name for himself on the Masters stage before, but never at Indian Wells. This year the 21-year-old Dane remedied that with a run for the ages that demonstrated the development he has undergone over the last few seasons. Though his ranking has slipped, Rune never let his passion for tennis waver.
“It's very basic and it's very maybe boring to say, but I just love tennis,” Rune said this week. “So even not being satisfied with my results, I still love to go down to the practice court and hit forehands, backhands, work on my shots and my physicality.”
Southern California vibes were strong in the California desert as local talents enjoyed massive support and took giant strides in Tennis Paradise. Thousand Oaks Marcos Giron nabbed his first Top 5 win and reached the round of 16. 19-year-old Irvine native Learner Tien made his main draw debut, as did Nishesh Basavareddy of Newport Beach. Laguna Hills native Alex Michelsen reached the third round, while Torrance native Iva Jovic, 17, earned her first main draw victory in the desert.
At 33 years young, American Asia Muhammad reached the Top 10 of the WTA doubles rankings last month.
“It was emotional. Last year I decided to stop playing singles and just give it my all in doubles,” she said.
Doubles gave back to the Long Beach, California native on Saturday – she won her first BNP Paribas Open title with partner Demi Schuurs.
The Third annual FILA International Junior Championships took place around the grounds at Tennis Paradise, giving young talents a chance to play at the same event as their heroes, and giving fans a chance to watch the future of tennis.
Jagger Leach, son of Indian Wells legend Lindsay Davenport, took the Boys title, defeating Jack Kennedy in the final, while Carlsbad’s Julieta Pareja won the Girls, taking out qualifier Alexis Nguyen in the final.
Mixed doubles is now a fixture at the BNP Paribas Open. Outside of the Slams and the Olympics you won’t find the discipline, but here in Tennis Paradise we embrace it. This year, a 12-team field battled it out at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in a tournament that offered $370k in prize money.
Italy’s Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani took the title, raising the trophy on Stadium 3 in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
Without you guys, the BNP Paribas Open would not have the same flavor. From the group that wore bee costumes to Carlos Alcaraz’s matches, to the loyal enthusiasts that line up to watch player practices, to the kids who come to snag autographs as they dream that one day they too will play in the stadium like their heroes – we salute all 504,268 of you all!
It was a breakthrough tournament for Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor. He shook up the draw in week one, taking out top-seeded Alexander Zverev, then proceeded all the way to his first Masters quarterfinal.
“I always believed in myself, I always kept working and doing the right things and I always felt like it would happen when the time is right,” Griekspor said.
With a career-changing experience under his belt, it could be Tallon’s time to shine on tour.
There is no better way to kick off a fortnight of world-class tennis than this. Tiebreak Tens, a star-studded mixed doubles event that takes place in Stadium 2 and features as the ice-breaking event that sets the tone on the eve of main draw play.
This year it was Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina taking the title, but the fans that came out in droves to glimpse their favorite stars in a refreshing, fun-filled evening were the real winners.
Tennis fans got an introduction to a young woman who promises to be a fixture at the BNP Paribas Open in the years to come: 17-year-old Iva Jovic, a Torrance, California native whose earliest memories of this tournament were of chasing Novak Djokovic around for an autograph when she was five years old. Now that she has her first main draw win under her belt, she’s the one giving out autographs!
French flair, booming power, authentic artistry. 20-year-old Arthur Fils had it all on display this year in the California desert as he pushed into his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal and came within a whisker of topping two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev once there.
Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz saw his BNP Paribas Open winning streak stunted at 16 matches by Jack Draper in the semifinals, but there is no denying that the Spaniard gave fans their money’s worth over the course of his run to the semifinals.
Entertaining, explosive and inspired – there’s never a dull moment when the four-time Grand Slam champion is on the court.
Madison Keys played her first matches as a Grand Slam champion at this year’s BNP Paribas Open, and she handled the spotlight like a true champion, opening up to the press about dealing with the new set of expectations that she now faced. The last American woman standing in singles stretched her winning streak to 16, winning back-to-back three-setters before finally running out or steam in the semis.
World No.1’s Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo claimed the men’s doubles title, defeating Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson 6-3, 6-4 in the final. The victory was a monumental one for Pavic, who became the first active doubles player to claim 40 ATP titles with the win.
Indian Wells had been the only Masters final that Pavic had yet to play – now he has the title!
Marcos Giron grew up coming to the BNP Paribas Open as a fan, so you can imagine the 31-year-old felt this year when he defeated Casper Ruud for his first ATP Top 5 win and made his way into the round of 16.
“With family, friends, this is a tournament I came to when I was younger, seeing Federer, Nadal, I mean, Novak, Wawrinka, all those guys growing up,” he said. “So I remember watching on Stadium 1, Stadium 2, and just seeing them all, and to actually be able to go out there and play, and to beat a top-5 player here is really amazing.”
Welcome to the big leagues, Colton Smith. The Olympia, Washington native made a big splash in the desert this year, coming through qualifying and defeating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli for his first ATP win. We’re beyond excited to see what the engaging, down-to-earth 22-year-old can do for an encore in 2025.
We don’t like to toot our own horn, but in this case we can’t help it. There is no better practice court setup than the one fans find at the BNP Paribas Open. Watching the sports’ biggest stars up close and personal on the practice courts, for many, is the most impactful thing they will experience at Indian Wells. That’s why the bleachers are packed just as full at the stadiums in Tennis Paradise.
The BNP Paribas Open wouldn’t be what it is without the loyal support of our title sponsor. Thanks to BNP Paribas for joining forces with Tennis Paradise through 2029!
Timothée Chalamet (not quite a complete unknown) and Kylie Jenner, in a box with former NBA all-stars Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki? That’s the kind of starpower top tier tennis in Southern California delivers.
