Novak Djokovic to participate in Indian Wells Masters for first time since 2019

Novak Djokovic has lifted BNP Paribas Open trophy five times.

It’s official – Novak Djokovic will grace the hard courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the BNP Paribas Open. He will make his first appearance at the tournament since 2019 and his second event of 2024 after the season-opening Australian Open. The main draw runs from March 8-19, while the qualifying round gets underway from March 5.

However, Djokovic will face a tough challenge at Indian Wells, as he will arrive there having been thwarted for an 11th Australian Open win and a record 25th Grand Slam title by Italian Jannik Sinner. This was Djokovic’s first loss after making the last four at Melbourne. He has lifted the BNP Paribas Open trophy five times – in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

The total prize money for the 2024 edition of the event will be $19 million – an increase of $1.4 million over the previous year. Last year’s men’s singles winner, Carlos Alcaraz, will likely return. The Spaniard powered through the opposition for his maiden Masters title at Indian Wells without dropping a set.

Defending women’s singles champion Elena Rybakina and former champions Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal are also expected to compete. Nadal has confirmed his participation in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, which runs from 19-24 February.

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In addition, the 2024 Open will feature all eight ATP and WTA singles quarter-final matches on Thursday, March 14, a day offering plenty of on-court action for tennis fans. The person hoping to be the singles champion at Indian Wells after the fortnight will have to beat a field of 96 players. Along with the fatter prize purse, 1000 ATP points for the winner and 650 points for the finalist are up for grabs as well.

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