Tennis' desert jewel has earned another crowning achievement.
The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells has been voted the WTA Premier mandatory tournament of the year for the sixth straight year.
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The largest WTA and ATP Tour combined two-week event in the world held annually at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, has earned the top tournament honor from the WTA each year since 2014 and 11 times overall.
The BNP Paribas Open earned the honor via voting from WTA players.
“We are truly grateful to the WTA players for voting us “Tournament of the Year” for the sixth straight year,” Tournament Director Tommy Haas said. “This honor is a testament to the dedication of our entire staff here at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, who work tirelessly to ensure that the players are comfortable, happy and able to perform at their best during their time in the desert.
"We are humbled by this recognition and look forward to welcoming players and fans alike back to Tennis Paradise for another outstanding event in 2020.”
The 2019 BNP Paribas Open saw the emergence of break-out Canadian star Bianca Andreescu, who became the first-ever female wild card to win the Indian Wells title. Her unprecedented victory in the desert set the stage for the 19-year-old’s first Grand Slam title at the US Open later in the season, matching a feat achieved by Naomi Osaka in 2018.
In March, 1-year-old Canadian wild card Andreescu fought off Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, in to capture her first WTA title in a BNP Paribas Open thriller.
"I’m just so so thankful for this moment," Andreescu said afterward. "Today was one of the toughest matches I've ever played in front of such an amazing crowd. So incredible.
"No matter what the score anyone can come back even 5-love, 3-love, 6-love anything is possible and I think I proved that today."
Photo credit: BNP Paribas Open Facebook