The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, is one of the largest tennis tournaments in the entire world. Here's what you need to know before you attend.

I'm Lara, Director of the Lifestyle and Trending News teams.

*Please do not bother leaving a comment that men play more sets in majors and therefore deserve more money, because I promise you that I do not care. 

**Also, this is my women's tennis shirt from Richsport. I love it. You can get one here. 

BTW, I'm trying not to be annoying here, but for anyone interested, a 1000-level event is just one step down from the Major tournaments: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Players who win the BNP Paribas tournament are awarded — you guessed it! — 1,000 points toward their rankings. 

The last two years, specifically, I have stayed at the Saguaro in Palm Springs. I chose it because it has a nice pool, is dog-friendly (I bring my Yorkie mix lol), and is relatively affordable despite the area. This year, I checked out on Saturday, because when I tried to extend my stay, I found out they were completely sold out for Saturday and Sunday night of the first weekend. In fact, every single hotel in the area (including Airbnbs in Joshua Tree) was sold out. I booked my stay at the Saguaro back in December of 2025 and paid around $200/night. Staying in Indian Wells or Palm Desert would've run me $400–$500/night.

Staying in Palm Springs means you will be driving or Ubering 30–40 minutes each way to the stadium grounds every day, but there are a lot more hotel options in Palm Springs, not to mention great food and drink options. But, be like me and BOOK EARLY!

My reasoning for this is simple: The first week is when *every single player* is there. You're more apt to see way more players actually playing on the outer (read, free) courts, practicing on the practice courts, and you can see lots of fun doubles matchups. With a grounds pass at Indian Wells, you get access to Stadiums 3–9, plus all the merch and food options. With a grounds pass, however, you do not have access to Stadium 1 or Stadium 2, which will always have the big-name players in the big matches. 

That being said, I still got to see so many big-name players during just four days at the tournament.

Stadium 2 is empty for Fritz/Fearnley. Indian Wells got rid of GA in Stadium 2 to push more ticket sales and it looks like they sold to only corporations and bots. Such a bad experience for fans and players. It’s dead quiet in here. Greed has ruined live events. @BNPPARIBASOPEN pic.twitter.com/LVa0uUwCaa

While I could not personally afford to do this on my own, and the experience was genuinely incredible, I still believe grounds passes are the superior option during the first three rounds. But omg, did I love this. Also, this was the only part of this entire experience that I did not pay for myself, fwiw.

Btw, with a capacity of 16,100, Stadium 1 at Indian Wells is the second-largest tennis-specific stadium in the world. Just a fun fact in case you ever need a fun fact about tennis stadiums!

Personally, I brought my own sunscreen from La Roche-Posay, which was kind of funny because they are actually a sponsor of the tournament, which I didn't realize, and they were giving out free samples to attendees all week. So I guess you don't HAVE to bring your own sunscreen, but in the desert sun, I was reapplying five to six times a day. And genuinely, I SWEAR by this sunscreen. It's not sticky, doesn't leave a white cast, and it works. 

This hat was $40, btw. One of the cheaper merch options available. 

A lot of my time at Indian Wells, outside of watching actual matches, is spent being posted up at the practice courts, watching my favorite players. They often interact with the crowd, and you can see them in action up close. It's genuinely incredible. You can also see a full practice schedule in the BNP Paribas app. I highly recommend utilizing this. 

I got to see all of these players practice during my time at Indian Wells: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Frances Tiafoe, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Qinwen Zheng, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Jelena Ostapenko, and João Fonseca.

I didn't personally buy anything from the specific Lululemon drop at Indian Wells, but I definitely thought about it. A lot of the sizes sold out really quickly. Basic T-shirts from the Lululemon drop ran $78. Jackets were $168. Larger tote bags were upwards of $70.

I managed to get my hands on one of their $12 ($13 with tax) matcha lattes, and while the price was low-key diabolical for the size, it was in fact delicious. I desperately wanted to get my hands on another one on Saturday, but the lines were simply not for me. 

I mean, I feel like most people know that the desert is hot during the day and downright cold at night, but it never fails to shock me every year just *how* cold it can feel sitting on those metal bleachers without the blazing desert sun. The tournament actually offers lockers you can rent, but most people just carry jackets with them all day, which can also help block sun exposure. 

The pic above is me attending a night session match last year with a coat I thrifted in Palm Springs for $10 because I was low-key still too cold. 

I didn't eat a ton while on site; I got an acai bowl one day for $19, a bowl of orange chicken for $24, which you can see above, and that's it. The acai bowl was delicious, but the orange chicken was bad. I wouldn't get it again, but any other food option I've tried onsite in the past has been decent. I didn't drink any alcohol this year, which really saved me $.

This is The Drop Shot, the Indian Wells equivalent of the US Open’s Honey Deuce.It’s pineapple-flavored with a tequila base. Costs $27 with a souvenir cup.The Honey Deuce costs $23 each and reportedly made the US Open $17 million in sales last year. pic.twitter.com/StSKQUMaUF

I asked the tournament for more specific details on attendance because I was genuinely curious, as it felt the most crowded it's ever felt to me this year in all six years of attendance. And here are the facts: 

Friday, March 6, set a single-day attendance record with 58,828 total patrons. Saturday, March 7, then eclipsed that and set another single-day attendance record of 60,781. This number, combined with Sunday's total attendance of 56,655, sets a new weekend attendance record (Friday–Sunday) of 176,264.