The BNP Paribas Open kicks off today in Indian Wells.
Two hours east of Orange County, the tennis tournament offers fans a Grand Slam feel without the costly plane ticket to Paris, London, Melbourne or New York.
At the Paribas Open, you get the typical crowds of a Grand Slam, the sprawling tennis courts where viewers can jump from match to match to match, the overpriced food and water, and, of course, the game’s most famous players.
Despite a recent illness, world No. 1 Roger Federer is scheduled to be there. He’s coming off his January Australian Open win—his record 16th Grand Slam title.
King of Clay Rafael Nadal also is planning on playing. The tennis world hasn’t seen much of him since he retired from the Australian Open quarterfinals with a knee injury.
Other stars slated to play include Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mardy Fish, Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and American upstart Melanie Oudin.
Two players who won’t be there: Serena and Venus Williams.
The sisters have boycotted the tournament since 2001, when Venus was booed in the semifinals for pulling out due to injury and Serena was jeered in the finals.
—Courtney Baird
