Sports
BNP Players Like Indian Wells For Off-Court Fun
There's more to the BNP Paribas Open than what happens on the courts.
From Frisbee-catching dogs to playing soccer next to the practice courts, the BNP Paribas Open is unlike any other tournament in the world. Not just because of the perfect outdoor weather, but because of some things that go unnoticed by the tennis fans.
Considering that the ATP and WTA tour stops include exotic locales such as Casablanca, Miami, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, climbing above the fray is tough. But the BNP Paribas Open seems to bring positive thoughts to the minds of the players.
For Novak Djokovic, what matters is that the tournament organizers solicit players input to make things even better each year.
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“It’s good to see the people in the organization hear out the players and their needs,” the Serbian said. “I think they care about things, and it’s good.”
Another big favorite among the players is the Players Party, which was held Thursday night. Players seemed delighted by the event, another thing which sets the BNP Paribas Open apart from the other tour events.
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“They do a great job with fun things,” Andy Roddick said. “There was a skateboarding bulldog last year, the Frisbee catching dogs this year ... it really makes you wonder and look forward to what they’ll have next year.”
“The players party is one of the events that we really look forward to because … its different,” Djokovic agreed. “Most of the players parties on tour are maybe sometimes a little bit formal, or sometimes too loud, like a nightclub. But this one is usually great, they have a lot to offer. It's one of the best parties I’ve attended in tennis.”
The Indian Wells Tennis Garden also offers a patch of grass about 50 yards long near the West gate that players love as an area for jogging and stretching. It also serves as a site for the very popular pick-up soccer games among the players.
“We play a lot of football, European and American,” Djokovic said, “This year we got goals (on the practice area), so when we saw there were goals there, we were so happy.”
Satuday and Sunday's day sessions were sold out.
