This week the best players in the world in both Men’s and Women’s tennis travel to Indian Wells, California, for the BNP Paribas Open. With one of the deepest fields of the year and 1000 ATP points at stake, players will need to show up with their A games this week if they want to advance deep into the tournament.
The Draw
The draw this week on the men’s side includes 8 of the top 10 players in the world, missing only Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Tennis fans should not expect to see Djokovic in America until the covid vaccine travel mandate into America is lifted. Djokovic is unable to participate in the tournaments because he has not been vaccinated.
As the days pass, tennis grows closer to the retirement of another legend, Rafael Nadal. Nadal will be playing a modified schedule this year, and fans should expect most of those limited tournaments to be on clay courts. The hard courts in America can be especially tough on players’ knees.
Despite the absence of two of the greatest players to ever pick a tennis racquet, Indian Wells should still offer premier tennis from some of the world’s best players. The tournament has already gotten underway this week, with the first round ending on Thursday night. The tournament will continue into next week and run through March 19th.
Court Conditions
The courts at Indian Wells are notoriously slow compared to other hardcourts in America. The slowness gives a slight edge to players that traditionally play better on clay courts, which typically incorporate a slower pace of play.
Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev is +210 to win the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, CA. At +210, Medvedev has the steepest future odds by over 400 points, with the next closest being Carlos Alcaraz at +650.
Medvedev’s game has been in top form recently, which is why I believe the oddsmakers are giving Medvedev so much respect. Last week in Doha, Medvedev won the title and didn’t drop a single set during the entire tournament. Medvedev seems to be unstoppable, and it would take a shocking defeat for him not to be crowned the champion.
Felix Auger Aliassime
Felix Auger Aliassime is +2200 to win the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, CA. Auger-Aliassime is a hard-court specialist, and his performance has improved in every match he has played this year. It wouldn’t shock me to see Felix make a run for the title this weekend to kick off his 2023 campaign. Auger Aliassime is a top 10 player and is still looking for a signature win on the ATP tour. This could be the one.
