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The Indian Wells or BNP Paribas Open 2026 stands as one of the most important tournaments in the professional tennis schedule. The BNP Paribas Open, which takes place every March at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California, features both men and women players in a tournament that judges its competition level as Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 yet remains below the four Grand Slams in both ATP and WTA Tour competition.
Jack Draper won the 2025 competition, marking his first Masters 1000 victory in the men’s singles event, while Mirra Andreeva won her first WTA 1000 title at 17 years old. They joined champions like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Carlos Alcaraz in the event’s hall of fame. The Indian Wells tournament maintains its status as one of the most popular events in international tennis, which every tennis enthusiast should experience.
Dates: March 4–15, 2026 (Main Draw)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Indian Wells, California, USA
ATP Category: ATP Tour Masters 1000
WTA Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor Hard Courts
Draw: 96 Singles / 32 Doubles
The Hard court extravaganza runs for 6 days, with the main draw taking place from day 4 of the tournament, while the first three days are for the qualification rounds for all men’s and women’s singles and doubles games carried in a knockout format. For the 2026 tennis season, the BNP Paribas Open will start from March and conclude with single event winners lifting the trophy on March 15. The following is the complete schedule for the BNP Paribas Open 2026 event, with exact matches declared depending on winners and the draw.
| Date | Round / Event |
| March 1 | Qualifying / Mixed Doubles Begin |
| March 4 | First Round – Singles |
| March 5 | First Round – Singles/Doubles First Round |
| March 6 | Second Round – Singles/Doubles First Round |
| March 7 | Second Round – Singles/Doubles First Round |
| March 8 | Third Round – Singles/Doubles Second Round |
| March 9 | Round of 32 – Singles/Doubles Second Round |
| March 10 | Round of 16 – Singles/Doubles Quarterfinals |
| March 11 | Singles Quarterfinals/Doubles Quarterfinals |
| March 12 | Doubles Quarterfinals /Mixed Doubles Semifinals |
| March 13 | Women’s Singles Semifinals/Doubles Semifinals |
| March 14 | Men’s Singles Semifinals/Doubles Finals |
| March 15 | Men’s & Women’s Singles Finals |
While the official entry list and seeds will be finalized closer to the tournament based on rankings as of early March 2026, expected men’s and women’s contenders include a mix of established stars and breakthrough talents.
Top-ranked players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, and Ben Shelton are likely to be top seeds, with Jack Draper returning as the defending champion from 2025.
Leading women’s players such as Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Paula Badosa, and Jessica Pegula are among the frontrunners, with Andreeva’s previous triumph marking her as one of the most-watched rising stars.
Other notable entrants may include seasoned champions and wild cards such as Venus Williams, who received direct entry to the 2026 draw.
Indian Wells boasts one of the richest prize purses outside the Slams. The 2025 event featured a total financial commitment approaching $19 million, with singles champions receiving over $1.2 million each. The 2026 event features a total tournament prize money commitment of over $19 million for the combined ATP and WTA event. Both men’s and women’s singles champions are expected to take home $1.2 million, with continued focus on equal pay. The exact amounts will be declared closer to the tournament.
Founded in 1974, Indian Wells has grown from a regional hard-court event to a premier Masters 1000/WTA 1000 tournament, often dubbed the “fifth Grand Slam” due to its popularity, prize money, and attendance. Previous ATP and WTA champions include legends such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Carlos Alcaraz.
The Indian Wells tournament stands as one of the most-watched and best-rated tennis competitions. The event reaches Grand Slam and ATP final status because of its prize money, fan base, and athletic showdowns. The crowd shows their excitement for watching top tennis players compete to achieve the highest award. The Indiana Wells 2026 event provides live telecast and streaming options, which you can view below.
The United States BNP Paribas Open broadcast rights remain exclusive to Tennis Channel and its affiliated streaming services. The full two-week schedule will include live match broadcasts on Tennis Channel and Tennis Channel 2 through their linear TV service. Tennis Channel provides its digital services through its proprietary platform, which includes Tennis Channel Plus and the Tennis Channel app to stream live matches while enabling users to watch replays on their phones, tablets, and smart TVs. Meanwhile, Canadian viewers watch Indian Wells through TSN, The Sports Network, which provides English TV coverage and streaming services through TSN Direct.
European broadcasters show Indian Wells through various sports networks, which differ by country but include major channels. The United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, and Italy use Sky Sports, while France uses Eurosport, and the Netherlands uses Ziggo Sport, and Scandinavia uses TV2, and Eastern European markets use Sportklub, Canal+, or DigiSport. The networks provide digital options which enable fans to stream matches live and on demand (e.g., Sky Go and Eurosport Player).
beIN SPORTS provides broadcast coverage for ATP and WTA tours, which includes Indian Wells through its TV channels and beIN SPORTS CONNECT streaming service on all devices. Australian viewers can subscribe to catch most of the men’s and women’s draws live throughout the tournament.
The Indian sports OTT service FanCode holds ongoing broadcasting and streaming rights for ATP Tour events that include ATP Masters 1000 tournaments and Indian Wells in the Indian subcontinent, which comprises India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan. The multi-year agreement from FanCode allows fans in this area to watch live matches and highlights, and selected tennis content through mobile and web platforms.
Tennis TV is the official ATP Tour streaming platform available worldwide, which provides live action and replays of the event in HD quality. Similarly, WTA TV is the official WTA streaming platform. Both platforms, though, have geo restrictions.
If a broadcaster in your country doesn’t carry Indian Wells or you are abroad during the event, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help you access geo-restricted broadcasts legally where you have a valid subscription. The following are basic steps for the VPN connection:
Choose a reputable VPN provider that offers fast servers in countries with broadcast rights (e.g., USA, UK, Canada).
Install the VPN app on your device (computer, phone, tablet, smart TV).
Connect to a server in a country where the desired streamer is available.
Visit the broadcaster’s streaming service or app and log in with your subscription credentials.
Enjoy the live stream of matches.
Here are some of the most effective VPN options for sports streaming (performance, reliability & global server reach):
ExpressVPN remains one of the most popular and dependable options for watching live streaming of sports events. Frequent travelers and even fans in remote regions find the Express VPN more handy due to its instant connectivity and stability during high-traffic events. Technically, the Lightway protocol ensures smooth HD streaming, while the MediaStreamer is an added advantage for users watching on smart TVs, Apple TV, or PlayStation.
NordVPN already earned a name for its flexibility and high-performance delivery. With an intensive server network across Europe, North America, and Asia, NordVPN covers wider regions and offers easy connectivity. During high-volume streaming, the NordLynx keeps speeds high while fans find it easier to switch between servers for better connectivity.
Surfshark is another game-winner for live events. Its option to share the stream across devices makes the VPN a must-have option. Whether it’s BBC iPlayer in the UK or Fox Sports in the US, Surfshark holds up well against geo-block detection and supports unlimited connections, making it perfect for tournament binge-watching.
When does the 2026 BNP Paribas Open take place?
The starting date of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open is March 1, while the main draw of the event will start from March 4. Finals of the tournament will have different dates as Singles winners will be decided in finals on March 15, while the doubles events will have their winners by March 14.
Which broadcasters show the BNP Paribas Open 2026 live in the USA?
Tennis Channel and its streaming platforms provide live broadcasting and streaming of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open in the USA.
Can I stream matches online internationally?
Tennis TV and WTA TV provide international streaming of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open.
How do I watch the 2026 BNP Paribas Open if there is no broadcaster in my country?
VPN is the best option to overcome the broadcasting issue and also the geo-blocking issue in the live streaming of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open. Kindly use a valid subscription to a broadcaster abroad.
What is the prize money for the 2026 BNP Paribas Open?
In 2025, singles winners earned over $1.2M, while the 026 edition will increase the prize money to $1.3M
The BNP Paribas Open 2026 at Indian Wells is a tennis spectacle that commands global attention, blending elite competition, tradition, and unmissable drama. The event belongs to ATP Tour Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments. Indian Wells has developed from its 1970s beginnings to become a top player destination, which breaks attendance records and produces new champions like Jack Draper and Mirra Andreeva.
A worldwide audience can access complete match coverage through official broadcast partners, which include Tennis Channel. There are other options like Sky Sports, beIN SPORTS, and TSN in different countries. Tennis TV and WTA TV also show every serve, every rally, and every match point. Moreover, VPN streaming provides users with access to international broadcasters. This is useful for fans when their regional rights restrictions prevent them from watching content.
The VPN servers provide users with active subscriptions to the services they want to access. The guide provides all essential information that fans require to watch the world-class matches scheduled between March 4 and March 15, 2026, including the complete tournament schedule, streaming strategies, and recommended VPN services, which will enable them to experience every exciting moment from Tennis Paradise.
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