The 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, one of the U.S.’s premier professional tennis events, came to an exciting close last weekend in Palm Springs, California. The tournament, one-half of what tennis fans call the “Sunshine Double” in partnership with the Miami Open, ushered in a fresh group of champions.
The field was wide open at Indian Wells, after it was announced that Number One ranked player and Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner from Italy would be banned from upcoming tournaments due to a doping controversy. Favored were Carlos Alcaraz from Spain, who held the title in 2024 and 2023, and hometown California hero Taylor Fritz, who was defeated by Sinner in the U.S. Open finals last year.
After a week of upsets and deep runs for Americans Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Ben Shelton, the title was taken by 23-year-old Brit Jack Draper, his first-ever Masters 1000 victory. Draper defeated Danish player Holger Rune by two sets to love in the final, taking his overall ranking from 14 to 7.
On the women’s side, 17-year-old Russian Mira Andreeva had a similar story. She fought past title holder Iga Swiantek, from Poland, in the semifinals and defeated U.S. open winner Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus to claim her first championship title in three sets.
The players headed straight to Miami this week for the Miami Open, where quarterfinals are set to be played today. Among the men still standing are Taylor Fritz and Novak Djokovic from Serbia while the women’s side standouts have been Iga Swiantek and American Jess Pegula.
Pro tennis never really stops- in the next few months, expect to see American players in Houston before heading to Europe for the Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome masters tournaments, all to gear up for the French Open in May.
