Chapter 1054 Tennis Paradise
Initially, the "fifth Grand Slam" should be Miami. After all, the status, scale, lineup, etc. of the "Sunshine Double Crown" are unique in the annual tour.
However, as time went on, the Miami and Indian Wells events gradually took different development curves and changed the situation.
Miami's development is lagging behind in all aspects. The venue is dilapidated, the scale is stagnant, and the equipment has not been updated for a long time. It is slowly showing signs of fatigue. The Caribbean wind is eroding this leisurely city, and the development of the event is also slowing down. In sharp contrast is Indian Wells:
Comprehensive development and keeping pace with the times not only actively attracts sponsorship funds, but the entire plan is also very clear and comprehensive.
There are four large and medium-sized "grandstand stadiums" of different levels. All competition venues are equipped with Hawkeye systems. Equipment and services are continuously updated, which is comparable to the Australian Open, which has spent the most money on venue updates among the four Grand Slams in recent years.
It is precisely because of this that Indian Wells came from behind and gradually replaced Miami's position. A few years ago, the title of "Fifth Grand Slam" has quietly shifted, and finally fell on Indian Wells.
In 2014, Indian Wells won the ATP Tour of the Year title for the first time.
After that, the title never changed hands until the end of the history that Gawain knew, once again proving the excellence of this event.
In addition, there is one very important thing:
Tournament prize money.
Just like Dubai is the leader in 500-level events, Indian Wells and Miami are also far ahead in the Masters level.
Throughout the year, there are a total of nine ATP Masters tournaments, and North America occupies four seats, namely Indian Wells, Miami, Cincinnati and Canada.
Take 2015 as an example.
The total prize money for the Cincinnati tournament is $4.5 million, and the total prize money for the Canadian tournament is $4 million; the same total prize money for the Miami tournament is $6.3 million, and the Indian Wells tournament is $7.1 million.
Simply put, even if you are eliminated in the first round, there is a clear gap in the prize money of the event.
Looking at all tournaments other than the four Grand Slams throughout the year, Indian Wells ranks first in total prize money.
In other words, the points for the nine Masters tournaments throughout the year are all the same, with the champion getting 1,000 points and the runner-up getting 600 points, but the prize money for the tournaments is clearly contrasting.
Then, changes in participation intentions can be predicted.
Therefore, whether high-ranking players or low-ranking players, all of them list the "Sunshine Double Crown" as a must-attend competition in the first quarter.
In 2017, there was a true death zone in the Indian Wells draw:
In Zone 4/4, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Del Potro, Zverev and Kyrgios, all six players are in the same zone.
Such a draw is hard to come by even at a Grand Slam tournament, but it appeared in Indian Wells, and it is indeed a rare sight.
So who emerged victorious that year? Federer defeated Nadal and Kyrgios defeated Djokovic to reach the quarterfinals; then Kyrgios withdrew, sending Federer to the semifinals.
The Swiss king, who was well rested, performed well afterwards and won two more games in a row to become the champion.
Of course, there is an extra bonus point:
The atmosphere of the game.
Like Melbourne, Indian Wells is known as the "Tennis Paradise", and the biggest reason is the enthusiasm and craze of the audience.
During the event every year, audiences from all over North America flock to join the carnival as if they were attending the Coachella Music Festival.
The "fifth Grand Slam" is comparable to the Grand Slam in every aspect, from popularity to treatment, which is basically at the Grand Slam level. This also directly proves Indian Wells' current status in the tour.
Perhaps Miami still refuses to acknowledge the change of ownership of the title, but facts speak louder than words, and Indian Wells has already won its own praise.
Of course, it’s also because of the brilliance of both Miami and Indian Wells that the “Sunshine Double” is so special.
No one, male or female, wants to miss it.
Just look at the list of registered players: among the top 20 male players in the world, only Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is absent due to injury, and all others are on the field.
Among them, Cilic also chose to make a comeback in Indian Wells.
Last year, after reaching the final of the US Open and setting a career-best record, Cilic's luck was not good. No one expected that he would end the season with two consecutive losses, and then suffered from a shoulder injury, so much so that he missed the entire Australian season.
It wasn't until March that he made a comeback, but I don't know what his condition is.
Among the female players ranked in the top 20 in the world, only Petra Kvitova and Venus Williams were absent due to injuries, while all others were present.
Just from the registration list, it can be seen that the players attach great importance to this event and treat it as a Grand Slam.
In fact, Tsonga and Kvitova also arrived in Indian Wells early to train here and try to see their own condition.
It was not until the last moment when the draw was announced that he realized his body could not withstand the intensity of the game, so he had no choice but to withdraw.
This move also proves that they are unwilling to be absent if possible.
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It is precisely because of this that the small town of Indian Wells began to bustle early on.
The qualifying round began a week before the main competition.
And that’s not all.
Even if they lose in the qualifying round, those low-ranked players will not turn around and leave immediately. Firstly, they are waiting for the opportunity of the lucky losers; secondly, they are waiting to see whether the players ranked higher in the world will withdraw due to injuries. If they do, they can qualify as substitutes.
Please note that seeded players are not required. Even if unseeded players are unable to participate, the empty draw still requires substitute players to take their places.
The only prerequisite is that the person is present.
As with the rules for lucky losers, the tournament will not make individual phone calls to players who are not present. Instead, the tournament will list the world rankings of the players who remain in Indian Wells and fill in the vacancies in order.
So, sometimes this happens:
Suppose there is a player ranked 99th in the world and a player ranked 130th in the world.
Ninety-nine people can participate in the qualifying round and successfully enter the final round. As long as they win, they can enter the main competition.
One hundred and thirty didn't even have the chance to qualify, but he still arrived in Indian Wells to wait.
Then, someone withdrew from the registration list, and the event organizer made a list in order of priority, and then 130 people were added to the list.
At the same time, the last round of qualifying ended, and ninety-nine people were eliminated, without even getting a chance to become lucky losers.
Similar situations happen frequently, but they require more or less luck.
Therefore, before the official draw of the tournament was released, Indian Wells began to bustle about a week in advance, with bustling crowds filling the entire town and continuing until all the first-round matches were over.
If the players withdrew from the competition due to injuries in the second and third rounds, it would mean that we won without a fight and there would be no need for substitutes.
(End of this chapter)