Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley are home to some of the biggest international events like Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Stagecoach Music Festival, American Express PGA Tour, and much more. One of the biggest events of the year is the BNP Paribas Open, which features professional tennis in an approachable and affordable way. Here is more information on this amazing sports event in the Palm Springs and Coachella Valley area.
Location
The 2021 BNP Paribas Open is located in the town of Indian Wells, which lies in the Coachella Valley about 125 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The tournament is played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which was built in 2000 and has 29 different tennis courts, including a 16,100-seat main stadium which is the second largest tennis-only stadium in the world. After the tournament gained significant attendance in 2013, they expanded into an 8,000-seat stadium for their second court. They used a new “pro-purple” interior court color developed specifically for this tournament which is the exact opposite color of the yellow on the tennis ball to make it that much easier to see the ball.
About the Tournament
The BNP Paribas Open is a combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event that will be held October 4th to October 17th. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first time that the event will be held in the fall. The Open will feature a women’s event with a 96-player singles draw, 32-player singles qualifying draw, and 32-team doubles draw, while the men’s event will feature a 56-player singles draw, 28-player singles qualifying draw, and 28-team doubles draw. The top men and women in tennis will play for the title in the desert with $15.3 million in prize money available, the most for a combined ATP and WTP event of this size since the beginning of the pandemic.
Health and Safety Protocols
After a 2.5-year hiatus, the 2021 Paribas Open will celebrate the return of professional tennis to the desert, but with health and safety as a top priority. The BNP Paribas Open will require all fans, staff, sponsors, media, and vendors will have to show valid proof of vaccination in order to enter the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the tournament. In addition, depending on the conditions at the time of the tournament, additional testing as well as mask mandates in certain seating areas may be required by the Riverside County Health Department and the state of California. Make sure you check their website prior to attending to ensure you have everything you need to experience this event.
Ticket Packages
The BNP Paribas Open has options for just about any level of tennis lover who wants to participate in this event. Their ticket options range from single session tickets all the way up to packages to see the entire event in prime seating locations. Their single session tickets allow you to enjoy the perfect day in tennis paradise with reserved seats in one of the three stadiums or even a simple grounds pass. The reserved seating tickets start at $50 and include access to the other two stadiums’ open seating areas and increase in price depending on your preferred area of seating. If you just want to get in and see some tennis, we recommend grabbing a grounds pass, which gets you in the gate and access to the non-reserved seating which is first come, first serve. If you are looking to really save some money, their qualifying games and warm-up matches are available free of charge on October 5th and 6th. These first two days of the tournament are completely open to the public.
Planning Your Experience
If you are planning to visit any part of this amazing event, make sure you check out the 2021 BNP Paribas Open website for all your information needs before the event. They have a complete interactive site map that includes maps for the stadiums, dining, retail, and more. The event also has a mobile app that will allow you access to every exciting moment of the tournament, no matter where you are. Along with basic information, you will also have access to their event policies. Some of these to watch out for are the clear bag policy, which prohibits any bags larger than 12’’ x 6’’ x 12’’ and they much be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC. The event also prohibits guests from bringing in their own alcohol, pets, or cameras with a flash, so make sure that you check out their restrictions prior to the event to make sure you aren’t that guy or gal that gets kicked out of the event early.
If you’re planning on attending the BNP Paribas Open, you’ll want to secure the perfect lodging to return to at the end of a long day of tennis. Several of our rental properties such as Hacienda Santa Rosa, Base Camp, and The Summit even feature access to private tennis courts to help you get in your own spirited back-and-forth game. Contact TRAVLR today to book one of our exquisite rental properties located conveniently near the Indian Wells Tennis Garden!
