The BNP Paribas Open (more commonly known as the Indian Wells Masters) is the biggest combined two week event in tennis. By that we mean that as well as being part of the World Tour Masters 1000 on the ATP (men’s) tour, it’s also a WTA Premier event on the women’s tour. Here our focus is on the women so read on for the lowdown on this huge part of the women’s tennis calendar as we serve up some event history and background, as well as a few gambling pointers for those that like a bet – or two and odds comparison.
Whatever you want to call this great competition, it has been held in Indian Wells, California since 1989 when it was known as the Virginia Slims of Indian Wells and was a Tier III tournament. It went through a number of upgrades before being made a Premier Mandatory Tournament in 2009 when that category was created.
Essentially that means that the Indian Wells Masters, played on hard courts, is among the most important tournaments in the women’s game. Only the Grand Slams (2,000 points) and the WTA Tour Championships (1,500) offer more ranking points to the winner than the 1,000 the victor at Indian Wells will add to their tally.
The other three tournaments with the same standing take place in Key Biscayne, Madrid and Beijing but there is little doubt that the Indian Wells is the most prestigious of them all. It is also the best attended, with only the four majors seeing more spectators pass through the gates. This combination of high ranking points, huge prize money and intense public and media interest, mean that the BNP Paribas Open (as the event has been called since 2009 for sponsorship reasons), is one of the premier betting events in tennis.
With the exception of the Australian, French and US Opens, and Wimbledon, and perhaps the season-ending WTA Finals, no other tournament in women’s tennis will see as much betting. That means the bookies really up the ante when it comes to the range of markets, the one-off promotions and offers they carry and the streaming and in-play options they provide.
If you do fancy a bet on the Indian Wells Masters then our live odds comparison is the quickest way to the biggest odds. No manual checking of individual betting sites, just the biggest and best odds every time.
In terms of picking the winner of this massive showcase, things have been tricky in recent years due to the fact that two time champion Serena Williams, along with sister Venus, have refused to play here since 2001. That followed boos and allegations of racist abuse but Serena played the tournament in 2015, whilst Venus is set to play in 2016.
Serena will look to claim a record third Indian Wells Masters title and move ahead of a pack of eight women, including Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova, currently tied on two. Serena’s last success in Indian Wells was back in the controversial 2001 final when she was roundly booed throughout both that match and the awards ceremony but a warmer welcome is assured these days.
The BNP Paribas Open, or simply the Indian Wells, is a wonderful two weeks of tennis and now you know more about it, why not put your money where your mouth is and see if you can back the winner?