California desert anticipates BNP Paribas Open return

WATCH: My Tennis Life—Ajla Tomljanovic heads to Indian Wells

The return of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, which was cancelled in 2020 and delayed by more than six months this season due to the coronavirus pandemic, has been eagerly awaited—and not just by tennis fans, but also the local region.

The Palm Springs and surrounding area has taken a $400-million economic hit starting with the 2020 cancellation of the tournament, according to a study by Development Management Group Inc. The tourist-heavy region has also experienced the cancellation of music festivals and other local events.

But the Masters 1000 event is back this week and expected to attract ''hundreds of thousands'' of fans to Indian Wells. Still, attendance is likely to be lower than the record of more than 475,000 spectators set in 2019, tournament officials told the Desert Sun.

According to the LA Times, the event is aiming for around 300,000 spectators.

The crowds should also be a boost for local small businesses like restaurants, especially during an otherwise quiet tourist period.

While some big names like Novak Djokovic, Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka have withdrawn, the tournament has also grabbed wildcard entries from Emma Raducanu, Andy Murray and Kim Clijsters.

The tournament has stepped into a vacancy created by the cancellation of the Asian swing, which typically included events in Shanghai and Beijing during this portion of the season. The change in schedule has also allowed smaller tournaments to start up in San Diego and Chicago during the run-up to the BNP Paribas Open, both largely organized in just a few weeks.

The ATP San Diego Open was run by the Barnes Tennis Center, a public facility in the city. It turned a profit, officials indicated to the New York Times. The tournament secured $850,000 in sponsorships and got $800,000 in ticket sales and concessions, along with $100,000 in funding and a $200,000 loan from the S. California Tennis Association Foundation. The ATP gave the event a single-year license and contributed the more than $600,000 of prize money awarded by the event.

A capacity crowd of around 2,000 was in the stands the final four days of the event, which had a strong field that included three-time Grand Slam champion Murray.

The WTA Chicago Tennis Classic was also played in a not-for-profit facility that hosted another WTA event before the US Open.

Karolina Pliskova, ranked No. 3, is the top WTA seed for Indian Wells, while world No. 2 and reigning US Open champion Daniil Medvedev is the top ATP seed.