History of Indian Wells Open in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 1, 2026

The BNP Paribas Open, also known as the Indian Wells Open, is a prestigious professional tennis tournament held annually in March at Indian Wells, California. Played on outdoor hardcourts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, it is a significant event on both the ATP and WTA tours, classified as an ATP Masters 1000 and a WTA 1000 event respectively. The tournament attracts top-ranked players and is a prominent fixture in the tennis calendar.

1974: Non-Tour Event

In 1974, the Indian Wells Open was a non-tour event.

1976: Non-Tour Event

In 1976, the Indian Wells Open was a non-tour event.

1977: Grand Prix Tennis Tour

In 1977, the Indian Wells Open was held as part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour.

1989: Grand Prix Tennis Tour

In 1989, the Indian Wells Open was held as part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour.

1996: Combined ATP and WTA Event

In 1996, the Indian Wells Open became one of the few fully combined events on both the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tours.

2000: Construction of Indian Wells Tennis Garden

In 2000, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden was built, featuring 29 tennis courts, including a 16,100-seat main stadium.

2001: Venus Williams' withdrawal and Serena Williams' final

In 2001, Venus Williams withdrew from her semifinal match against Serena Williams due to injury, leading to speculation of match-fixing. Serena was booed during her final match and the awards ceremony, and Richard Williams, their father, alleged racial slurs were directed at him.

2004: Expansion to 96-Player Field

In 2004, the Indian Wells Open expanded to a multi-week 96-player field.

2009: BNP Paribas Naming Rights

In 2009, the French multinational banking group BNP Paribas acquired the naming rights for the Indian Wells Open.

2009: Sale to Larry Ellison

In 2009, the Indian Wells Open and the Indian Wells Tennis Garden were sold to Larry Ellison.

2013: Expansion and Upgrade of Facilities

After the 2013 BNP Paribas Open, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden started an expansion and upgrade of its facilities, including a new 8,000 seat Stadium 2 and a new interior court color named "Pro Purple" created specifically for the ATP Masters Series.

2014: Boycott End Date

In 2014, Venus and Serena Williams ended their boycott of the Indian Wells tournament, which had started in 2001 due to controversies.

2015: Serena Williams' Return

In 2015, Serena Williams returned to the Indian Wells Open after a 14-year boycott, following a phone call from Larry Ellison.

2015: Visitor Attendance

In 2015, the Indian Wells Open had over 450,000 visitors.

2019: Eisenhower Cup 2019

In 2019, the Eisenhower Cup was played as a men's singles event where Milos Raonic defeated Stan Wawrinka.

March 8, 2020: Cancellation due to COVID-19

On March 8, 2020, the Indian Wells Open was postponed and later canceled to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

2022: Eisenhower Cup 2022

In 2022, the Eisenhower Cup was played as a women's singles event where Amanda Anisimova defeated Maria Sakkari.

2024: Indian Wells Open Attendance

In 2024, the Indian Wells Open had a total attendance of 493,440, making it the best-attended tennis tournament outside of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

2024: Inaugural Mixed Doubles Title

In 2024, the mixed doubles category was introduced, with Storm Hunter and Matthew Ebden winning the title in its first edition.

2024: Introduction of Mixed Doubles

Since 2024, the Indian Wells Open has introduced mixed doubles as a new category.

2025: Eisenhower Cup 2025

In 2025, the Eisenhower Cup, an exhibition mixed doubles tournament, awarded $200,000 in prize money, split between the winning team of Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina.