Puffer jackets in the desert? Taste of Tennis served up delicious eats (and plenty of style) in Indian Wells

One of the most popular events on the sport’s social calendar, Taste of Tennis returned to Indian Wells this week to serve up a fun evening of delicious eats and stylish looks at the Hyatt Indian Wells Resort and Spa.

Several of the BNP Paribas Open’s biggest names took part in the celebration, which was hosted by Tennis Channel commentator and former ATP star Nick Monroe. Players like Paula Badosa, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Qinwen Zheng, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, JJ Wolf, Emma Navarro, Alycia Parks, Alexander Zverev and many, many more hit the town on Monday ahead of the year’s first combined 1000-event.

While players posed for the cameras and enjoyed endless food from Coachella Valley’s best—all set to music by Jared Harper and party hits by DJ Danny Castillo—a few of them also gave tennis style watchers on social media a bit to talk about too.

Throughout the evening, players and guests sipped on espresso martinis from Segafredo Zanetti Coffee, bubbly from Zonin USA, “Voss-Tails” courtesy of VOSS, along with wine from St. Francis Winery.

Between the wine and martinis, hopefully Zheng, Badosa, Zverev and Jakub Mensik snuck a stain remover into their swag bags, as they were among the players who opted for an all-white-and-neutral-cream outfits. Badosa completes her look with a Christian Dior Lady D-Lite bag which features gold and white embroidered butterflies and constellations, and matching shoes.

Meanwhile players like Holger Rune reminded viewers of the tricky range of weather conditions faced in Indian Wells by wearing a black, packable puffer jacket to an event held in the low desert. He wasn’t the only one opting for warm and cozy that evening, with Liudmilla Samsonova also seen in her own black puffer, which she paired with white trousers and cream-colored sneakers.

Players like Tsitsipas, Parks and the fashion renegade Bethanie Mattek-Sands also stood out with their looks from the evening—where they also sampled incredible cuisine including tuna crudo and ember-roasted purple yam (courtesy of Chef Angelo Sosa of Tia Carmen & Carmocha), coconut ceviche and shawarma-spiced 24-hour sous vide leg of lamb (courtesy of Chef Omar Salinas of Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Spa), barbecue-shredded beef sliders and jackfruit carnitas (courtesy of Chef Nestor Ruiz of RD RNNR) and much, much more.

Mattek-Sands always loves a head-turning moment, and on Monday she let her accessories do the talking. The 38-year-old completed her outfit with a Bottega Venetta Arco bag in dyed orange shearling, which contrasted nicely against her black and white look. Tsitsipas, rocking a shirt from Scotch and Soda, brought the ultimate tennis reference for the occasion, as the back of the garment features a lush, tropical tennis scene.

Parks has been turning heads with her tennis for a while now, and after signing a head-to-toe deal with Wilson in the off-season the 23-year-old American has signaled that she’s ready to challenge the tour. At Taste of Tennis, she won the evening with a trendy black leather romper and matching sheer-sleeved shirt.

The evening also had a charitable component too, with Taste of Tennis commissioning a commemorative event painting from internationally acclaimed artist, muralist, and filmmaker Tysen Knight—which was then auctioned for $5,000 with all proceeds going to Shay’s Warriors, a non-profit formed in the Coachella Valley to support the cancer survivorship community.

Look out for more Taste of Tennis at the Miami Open presented by Itau, hosted on March 18 at the JW Marriott Miami.