COMPETITION: The BNP Paribas Open, a widely respected and renowned tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, entertained tennis fans from March fourth to 17th.
By Tanner Rowland, Staff Writer
The BNP Paribas Open (BNPPO), a Masters 1,000 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tennis tournament is broadly recognized as being ¨tennis paradise.¨ Held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, the tournament is surrounded by lovely views and beautiful scenery. The BNPPO, which began March 4th and ended on the 17th, attracted fans from all over the world and, in total, brought in 475,000 fans for the 2019 tournament. Dominic Thiem, who is currently ranked number four in the world, won the men’s singles draw. Bianca Andreescu, who got into the main draw as a wildcard, won the women’s singles draw and is now ranked number 33 in the world.
The BNPPO is the 5th largest tournament right after the four majors: the Australian Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and the U.S. Open. The way it’s run and the way the staff treats its fans and players set it apart from other tournaments. After taking a field trip with Poly High’s tennis program, this tournament is described as ¨relaxing, organized, and very exciting,¨ by Lily Castor (11). Castor mentions, ¨getting the opportunity to watch top tennis players so close to home,” as her favorite part of the tournament. The BNPPO, located only 71 miles away from Riverside schools, gave Poly High School tennis players the opportunity to watch live matches and walk the grounds of tennis paradise. “It’s crazy to see someone that you look up to on TV and then go see them win a match in real life¨ said Chloe Ivy (9). Being one of the largest tournaments in the world, it is a great opportunity for the Poly boys and girls tennis teams to check out the scene.
This year’s BNP had ups, downs, and much in between. On March 10th, player Serena Williams had to withdraw mid-match due to illness, shocking many fans. In a semifinal round, players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal planned to go head to head in a match for the history books, but Nadal pulled out due to a knee injury. Although there were some surprising withdrawals and upsets, the tournament had many memorable matches. Players Yoshihito Nishioka and Felix Auger Aliassime battled on March 11th for almost three hours in a match that will live on in BNP history forever. Nishioka ended up winning 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(5) and left a legacy for himself on BNP grounds. Player Bianca Andreescu not only made history by being the first wildcard to ever win the BNP Paribas Open but sprung her career by beating the former number one player, Angelique Kerber, in the final 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 at only the age of 18.
This year’s BNPPO was filled with unforgettable matches, points, and memories that will last a lifetime for both fans and players. As the 2019 BNPPO comes to a close, clay court season begins for players to prepare for the Roland Garros in France. Tennis paradise will be missed amongst many as matches in the California desert come to a close. Tennis fans can begin counting down the days for tennis fun in Indian Wells in 2020.