Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open: When is tennis tournament? Schedule, UK times, TV and will Emma Raducanu be playing?

It does not seem too long ago that the Indian Wells tournament was last on our radar, but it is now back and will be played at its normal time of the year.

Often referred to as the fifth Grand Slam, the Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open is taking place in the Indian Wells Garden, California and will feature some of the biggest players on the tournament.

At the event last year, Novak Djokovic had to pull out at the last minute and his appearance will be equally as unlikely this year due to his unvaccinated status.

The Serbian who has just lost his number one spot hit the headlines back in January ahead of the Australian Open.

While it had initially been thought he would be allowed to compete, he was soon deported by the Australian and Victorian Government for having an unjustifiable reason for not being vaccinated.

His omission from the tournament paved the way for Raphael Nadal to secure a record-breaking Grand Slam Win.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie was the 2021 winner of the Indian Wells tournament, securing one of the biggest wins in his career.

Norrie took on the Georgian tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili and secured a 3-6 6-4 6-1 victory over the hard-hitting player while Spain’s Paula Badosa beat Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka 7-6 2-6 7-6 to take the Women’s title.

In Norrie’s most recent tournament, the Brit reached the final of the Mexican Open before losing to Nadal 6-4 6-4.

The Indian Wells tournament will run with the WTA tour starting first with the ATP to follow.

Here is all you need to know ahead of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells

When is the Indian Wells tournament?

The WTA tournament has already kicked off with the qualifying stages taking place today, Monday 7 March 2022.

The first round of the competition proper will begin on Friday 11 March 2022 while the ATP tour will begin on Saturday 12 March 2022

What is the tournament schedule?

WTA:

• First Round: Friday 11 March 
• Second Round: Saturday 12 March 
• Third Round/Last 16: Sunday 13 March 
• Quarter Finals: Tuesday 15 March 
• Quarter Finals: Wednesday 16 March 
• Semi final: Thursday 17 March 
• Final: Saturday 19 March 

ATP:

• First Round: Saturday 12 March 
• Second Round: Sunday 13 March 
• Third Round/Last 16: Monday 14 March 
• Third Round/Last 16: Wednesday 16 March 
• Quarter Finals: Thursday 17 March 
• Semi Final: Friday 18 March 
• Final: Sunday 20 March 

Who will play in the Indian Wells tournament?

Winner of the Australian Open Ashleigh Barty was due to play at Indian Wells but recently announced that she is unlikely to play in a tournament until April.

Former World number one Naomi Osaka has been given a wildcard to gain direct entry into the tournament and will feature in this weekend’s first round draw.

It is as yet unknown whether the young Brit Emma Raducanu will play in this year’s Indian Wells tournament.

Raducanu was due to play at both the Abierto Akron Zapopan in Guadalajara and Monterrey Events but was forced to withdraw due to sustaining a hip injury.

The 19-year-old has now jetted to California and will make a last minute decision on whether she is fit enough to play.

Dominic Thiem is one of the men’s players to have announced that he will not feature in the tournament announcing that he wishes to begin his 2022 season on clay.

Britain’s Heather Watson, Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart are all competing in the qualifiers.

Daniil Medvedev, who has recently been announced as the new World Number One will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag.

How to watch Indian Wells

All of the tournament will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video. There is a free trial period for 30 days and subscription after which starts at around £7/month.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.