The 2024 BNP Paribas Open has finally arrived! With the action officially beginning Sunday, keep reading for a comprehensive preview of this year’s tournament with 24 Key Things you need to know for the 2024 BNP Paribas Open.

1. World No. 1s Headline Player Field – Do you want to see the best players in the world compete? If so, you’ve come to the right place. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is set to play host to the top stars in the sport over the next two weeks, with current World No. 1s and former BNP Paribas Open champions Novak Djokovic (2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016) and Iga Swiatek (2022) topping the star-studded 2024 player fields. Djokovic will make his return to Indian Wells for the first time since 2019, while Swiatek last played in 2023 when she reached the semifinal.

2. Australian Open Titles In Two Years For Aryna Sabalenka – Surging talent Aryna Sabalenka won her second Grand Slam title this past January, defending her 2023 Australian Open title and taking home the crown in back-to-back years. At last year’s BNP Paribas Open, she fell to eventual champion Elena Rybakina in the semifinals – will her momentum from Down Under carry over to Tennis Paradise for a maiden Indian Wells title?

3. Days Of Qualifying Create More Action Than Ever – Tennis Paradise is beginning earlier than ever this year as the action starts on Sunday for the first time in history with WTA qualifying. Fans can experience a full slate of qualifying matches from Sunday, March 3-Tuesday, March 5 along with a full slate of superstar practice sessions, all for just $10 with ticket proceeds benefiting local charities.

4. Rohan Bopanna Became The Fourth Indian Player To Win A Major – The reigning BNP Paribas Open men’s doubles champion Rohan Bopanna became the fourth player from India to win a Major title with his maiden Grand Slam win at the 2024 Australian Open. He also became the oldest debut World No. 1 with the win, topping the rankings at 43 years of age. Bopanna won both 2023 Indian Wells and the 2024 Australian Open alongside partner Matthew Ebden, and the two will be back in action to defend their title this year as the top seed. Doubles is always a highlight in Indian Wells with top singles players like Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and more all competing in the doubles field this year. Still, all eyes will be on Bopanna as one of the favorites to watch as he makes this extraordinary run late in his career.

5. Former Indian Wells Champions In This Year’s ATP Field – Five former BNP Paribas Open champions will be vying for another taste of Indian Wells glory in 2024. Novak Djokovic will be searching for a record-breaking sixth career title, Rafael Nadal for his fourth, and the last three champions – Carlos Alcaraz (2023), Taylor Fritz (2022) and Cameron Norrie (2021) all looking for their second titles.

6. Former Champions On The WTA Side – The women’s field has six former winners coming back to play at Indian Wells this year. Two-time winner Victoria Azarenka (2012, 2016) will vie for a third title in the desert, with Caroline Wozinacki (2011), Naomi Osaka (2018), Paula Badosa (2021), Iga Swiatek (2022) and defending champion Elena Rybakina (2023) looking for second BNP Paribas Open titles.

7. American Men Live In The ATP Top 50 – With 2022 Champion Taylor Fritz aiming to add another Indian Wells title to his resume, six other American ATP stars also ranked in the Top 50 will search for their first titles in the desert. Keep an eye out for 2023 semifinalist Frances Tiafoe as well as Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, Christopher Eubanks and Marcos Giron. 

8. Celebrate International Women’s Day On Friday, March 8 – Of course match action takes the spotlight in Indian Wells every year, but the off-court activities schedule is a highlight too. Fans will want to be at the Village Stage on International Women’s Day for a special edition of daily Tennis Talks. BNP Paribas and FILA will present the “Inspiring the Next Generation” panel, where you can hear from leading women in tennis, pickleball and business. And be sure to check out all of the other Tennis Talks, daily at 12:30pm.

9. Come See Tennis Legend John McEnroe Rock Out March 9 – For the second year in a row, catch John McEnroe’s “Johnny Smyth Band” performing at the Village Stage. And don’t miss out on the other entertainment and live music performing daily during the tournament including Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon, the Bryan Bros. Band, and more. Check out the full activities schedule here.

10. Tie Break Tens Returns With Mixed Doubles – For the second year in a row, The Eisenhower Cup Presented By Masimo will come to Indian Wells as a one-night, Tie Break Tens event featuring a mixed doubles format. You can see top-ranked ATP and WTA players teaming up for the contest, from reigning Eisenhower Cup champions Aryna Sabalenka and Taylor Fritz to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Caroline Wozniacki, Holger Rune, Elena Rybakina, Ben Shelton and more. 

11. Players Have Completed The Sunshine Double – The “Sunshine Double” has been bestowed as an informal tennis award to those able to complete the feat of winning the 1000-level events in Indian Wells followed by Miami in the same year. Eleven players have accomplished the feat, and three are in the 2024 player field. Djokovic has won at Indian Wells and Miami in the same year four times – first in 2011 and then during his three-peat from 2014-16. On the WTA side, Victoria Azarenka did it in 2016, and most recently, Iga Swiatek in 2022. Will this year’s victors make it happen in 2024? The quest begins in the desert.

12. Career Titles for Australian Open Champion Jannik Sinner – With 12 titles to his name already, the young Italian Jannik Sinner is seemingly just getting started, arriving in Tennis Paradise after claiming his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Last year, he fell to fellow New Era talent and eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, and he’ll be gunning for his first BNP Paribas Open crown with a target on his back this March.

13. Main Draw Wild Cards – This year’s player field features 13 recently announced main draw wild cards. Headlining the WTA wild card entries is seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams, 2011 Indian Wells Champion Caroline Wozniacki, two-time Grand Slam Finalist Karolina Pliskova and 2021 US Open Champion Emma Radacanu. On the men’s side, keep an eye out for California native and 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Brandon Nakashima, plus former World No. 9 Fabio Fognini.

14. March 14 Features Brand New All-Play Quarterfinal Thursday – Brand new for 2024, the BNP Paribas Open will host all ATP/WTA quarterfinals matches on one action-packed Thursday. It’s sure to be an energetic day of world-class tennis with coveted semifinal spots on the line. If there was ever one day to be at the BNP Paribas Open, it has to be the revamped Quarterfinal Thursday.

15. Times Andy Murray Has Played At Indian Wells, With 16 Likely His Last – British legend Andy Murray announced earlier this year that he intends to retire before the end of the 2024 season, so this appearance at Indian Wells will almost certainly be his last. Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had his best result at Indian Wells with a finals run in 2009, falling to Rafael Nadal. Fans should be eager to see if the veteran has one last bit of ‘Murray Magic’ in him this time around at Indian Wells.

16. The Age Of Mirra Andreeva, The Youngest WTA Player In The Field – The reigning WTA Newcomer of the Year Mirra Andreeva will make her BNP Paribas Open debut this year in the main draw. She is coming off two fourth round Grand Slam showings, the first at 2023 Wimbledon and then again a few months ago at the 2024 Australian Open.

17. The Age Of Both 2023 FILA Junior Championship Winners Competing In Qualifying – The inaugural FILA International Junior Championships took place last year in Tennis Paradise, with Cooper Woestendick and Clervie Ngounoue taking home the crowns. With their title wins, both Woestendick and Ngounoue received automatic wild cards to compete in qualifying at this year’s BNP Paribas Open. Look out for these two youngsters in their qualifying debuts early in the first week. Fans can catch the second edition of the junior championships in Indian Wells beginning Monday, March 11 and running through the end of the tournament Sunday, March 17.

18. The Age Of Jakub Mensik, The Youngest Main Draw ATP Player – Jakub Mensik makes his Indian Wells main draw debut this spring after turning heads last month at the 2024 Qatar Open. In Qatar, he earned his first Top 5 win over top seed Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals en route to a finals appearance. He also defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and tennis legends Andy Murray and Gael Monfils during his run to the finals.

19. Record-Setting $19M In Total Prize Money Up For Grabs in 2024 – The stakes are as high as ever this year in the desert as the 2024 BNP Paribas Open will award a grand total of $19M in total prize money to players across the event. This is the largest sum in tournament history.

20. The Number of Practice Courts At The Indian Wells Tennis Garden – And where some of the best action happens on-site. Fans can get up close to their favorite players with 20 practice courts across the grounds. If you’re feeling a break from the match action, head over to the practice courts to get up close and watch the stars prepare for their upcoming matches. Lucky fans might even be able to catch an autograph or selfie with their favorite player.

21. Tournaments Since An American WTA Champion Prevailed – The last time Indian Wells saw an American women’s champion was over 20 years ago. Expect a number of highly touted American women to compete for the crown this year, including none other than 2023 US Open Champion Coco Gauff. Top 5 ranked talent Jessica Pegula also remains a threat for an Indian Wells breakthrough, but the pressure is building as the wait continues for a homegrown WTA champion in Tennis Paradise.

22. Time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal Returns – 22x Grand Slam champion and 3x Indian Wells Champion Rafael Nadal will return to the desert after missing the 2023 tournament. Nadal’s last time around in Tennis Paradise in 2022 saw him make the finals before falling to Taylor Fritz. The Spanish legend will be on the hunt for his first BNP Paribas Open title in 10 years this spring as he launches his 2024 comeback campaign right here in the desert. Nadal is currently scheduled to play his first round match during the evening session on Thursday, March 7.

23. ‘23 Champions Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina Look To Repeat – Repeating in the desert is no easy feat, and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 4 Elena Ryabkina will have a tall task at hand on as they try to mount their title defenses. Alcaraz will have his eyes set on becoming the first back-to-back champion since Djokovic’s three-peat from 2014-2016. On the WTA side, there has only ever been one back-to-back champion: Martina Navratilova in 1990 and 1991. 

24. The Number of Delicious Food & Beverage Options On-site For Fans – Enough talk about tennis, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is going to be a culinary sanctuary this March with 20+ dining options and more than a dozen new concessions to welcome fans in 2024. World-class tennis and a world-class fan experience once again are ready to take the Southern California desert by storm for two weeks of action that fans will not want to miss.