Tennis Paradise – Indian Wells

Palm Springs own Indian Wells tournament is taking the tennis world by storm; its incredible environment mixed with the best players in the world is what earns it the name of “Tennis Paradise.”

By: Emma Jenan

Professional tennis has been taking the world by storm for decades, but with new superstars such as Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and so many more, the attention on the sport has been higher than ever.

There are over a hundred professional tournaments per year, but only 4 are grand slams. California’s own Indian Wells is a Masters 1000 tournament, the level below the grand slams, and has a grand prize of over 1.3 million dollars.

I personally got the privilege of going to the third round matches of this tournament, and if you ever find yourself in the L.A. area, I highly recommend stopping by in tennis paradise.

When you first arrive at the gardens, you are standing face to face with the largest tennis stadiums in California, along with dozens of restaurants, athletic apparel shops, and much more. There is a total of 17 courts at the gardens, but the largest being Stadiums 1, 2, and 3.

The top 10 players usually appear in Stadium 1, but in the earlier days of the tournament you can find them on pretty much any of the courts.

The shops that are featured at this event include Fila, Wilson, Tennis Warehouse, and many more. Also, on pretty much every corner there is an exciting new restaurant to try, from Mexican food, American food, all the way to a fried noodle place.

When I arrived on Saturday, my dad and I had night round tickets, so we got to watch the Russian Mirra Andreeva play in Stadium 1, who ultimately ended up winning the entire tournament at just 17 years old!

After Andreeva’s match, American Francis Tiafoe played, but got upset by Japanese Yosuke Watanuki with a score of 6-7, 4-6. This was actually a historic match, because Watanuki was the lowest ranking player (214th) to advance past the third round in a professional tournament since 2004.

The environment when you walk in is simply unmatched, the cheering, the focus on the playing. It is just an overall incredible experience.

The second day we were there, the Americans dominated! We were able to watch stars such as Taylor Fritz, Jessica Pegula, and Ben Shelton. All three were able to clinch the win and advance onto the round of 16. So, if you’re a sports lover who finds yourself wandering the desert of palm springs, make a pit stop at the Indian Wells tennis gardens and enjoy tennis paradise!

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