Indian wells 2026

[remshaam]

I am planning to head to Indian wells for the first time. Any tips on where to stay, what dates to go to see the most action? Planning either March 4-9 or Feb 26-2nd March (a week earlier to see practice and players) Also will be bringing my racquet, so is anyone up for some tennis?

 

[MaxTennis]

I'll be going on March 1 for the qualifying. It's only $10 per person. I went last year and I was able to see a lot of players practicing and it was much less crowded than the actual event!

 

[Jack the Hack]

I am planning to head to Indian wells for the first time. Any tips on where to stay, what dates to go to see the most action? Planning either March 4-9 or Feb 26-2nd March (a week earlier to see practice and players) Also will be bringing my racquet, so is anyone up for some tennis?

The qualifying rounds start on Sunday, March 1st and end on the 3rd. The first rounds start on Wednesday, the 4th. The top seeds all have first round byes, so they often don't show up and start practicing until the 4th. The seeds have their first matches usually on that middle weekend, so Friday through Sunday, which is March 6th through 8th this year.

I'm explaining this because if you show up on February 26th, nobody will be there, and if you stay until only March 2nd, all you will see is some of the first round qualifying matches with players outside the top 100. None of the stars will be there or practicing yet.

That second set of dates, March 4th-9th, is the first two rounds of the tournament, and that's when you'll want to go. That's when you'll see everyone on the practice courts and maybe an upset or two in those early rounds. In terms of attendance, the first two days will be OK, but the weekend will be absolutely packed with fans.

Personally, I'm going to be there from Monday, March 2nd, through Friday, March 6th. I just have grounds passes, which I already bought. I do have a friend with tickets in Stadium 2 on Thursday, and we might swap with her depending on the scheduled lineup. (She has seats for the whole event.) My plan is to see the final qualifying matches, stargaze on the practice courts for a couple days, and then get out of there on Friday before the crowds get super crazy.

I've been to the tournament about a half dozen times since 2008, so I know my way around the grounds quite well. However, in terms of hotels, I can't help because I have always been lucky to have friends houses to stay in down there, as I do this time. Same goes with restaurants as we usually just grab fast food or eat at the house we're staying at.

My Tri-Level team has Nationals in San Diego starting on the 7th, so I'll have my racquets in Indian Wells. However, my experience has been that finding open public courts is pretty difficult. I'm planning on doing a couple practices that week with one of my teammates, but we'll probably be playing at one of the private clubs our hosts belong to. If you can't get any hits in otherwise, one fun option is to go over to the Tennis Warehouse tent. They usually have a court where you can demo racquets against a ball machine. They rotate people through every 10 minutes or so.

 

[LuckyR]

To fill in the blanks from Jack's accurate information. A lot depends on 1) whether you're getting stadium seats or ground passes, 2) whether you want to see top seeds play and 3) if you want to see the stars, what level of competition do you want to see them against. In the first two rounds the best tennis (competition) won't be in the stadiums, rather on the outer courts which you can attend with grounds passes. Problem is, it can be almost impossible to predict which unseeded matchups will lead to very competitive matches. OTOH if you want to see stars (which is great if you haven't seen them live before), and you don't care if they're beating up on a much lower ranked player, then stadium seats in the first week are great. But if you want to see the top seeds playing their best, you're talking stadium seats in the later rounds.

 

[remshaam]

The qualifying rounds start on Sunday, March 1st and end on the 3rd. The first rounds start on Wednesday, the 4th. The top seeds all have first round byes, so they often don't show up and start practicing until the 4th. The seeds have their first matches usually on that middle weekend, so Friday through Sunday, which is March 6th through 8th this year.

I'm explaining this because if you show up on February 26th, nobody will be there, and if you stay until only March 2nd, all you will see is some of the first round qualifying matches with players outside the top 100. None of the stars will be there or practicing yet.

That second set of dates, March 4th-9th, is the first two rounds of the tournament, and that's when you'll want to go. That's when you'll see everyone on the practice courts and maybe an upset or two in those early rounds. In terms of attendance, the first two days will be OK, but the weekend will be absolutely packed with fans.

Personally, I'm going to be there from Monday, March 2nd, through Friday, March 6th. I just have grounds passes, which I already bought. I do have a friend with tickets in Stadium 2 on Thursday, and we might swap with her depending on the scheduled lineup. (She has seats for the whole event.) My plan is to see the final qualifying matches, stargaze on the practice courts for a couple days, and then get out of there on Friday before the crowds get super crazy.

I've been to the tournament about a half dozen times since 2008, so I know my way around the grounds quite well. However, in terms of hotels, I can't help because I have always been lucky to have friends houses to stay in down there, as I do this time. Same goes with restaurants as we usually just grab fast food or eat at the house we're staying at.

My Tri-Level team has Nationals in San Diego starting on the 7th, so I'll have my racquets in Indian Wells. However, my experience has been that finding open public courts is pretty difficult. I'm planning on doing a couple practices that week with one of my teammates, but we'll probably be playing at one of the private clubs our hosts belong to. If you can't get any hits in otherwise, one fun option is to go over to the Tennis Warehouse tent. They usually have a court where you can demo racquets against a ball machine. They rotate people through every 10 minutes or so.

Thanks! I finally booked my flights for March 4–9. Is there anything fun to do around the area? I was looking at Joshua Tree National Park, which seems like the main nature option. I’m also planning to bring my tennis racket and try to find some partners to play with while I’m there. By the way, is this is tennis warehouse tent you mentioned?

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[atatu]

Thanks! I finally booked my flights for March 4–9. Is there anything fun to do around the area? I was looking at Joshua Tree National Park, which seems like the main nature option. I’m also planning to bring my tennis racket and try to find some partners to play with while I’m there. By the way, is this is tennis warehouse tent you mentioned?

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Joshua Tree is ok, but you might want to go to Indian Canyons instead, which is closer and takes less time. There are also some jeep tours which look pretty good. I took the aerial tramway with my wife and kids one year and ran into Novak at the top, ended up taking pictures for him and his entourage which was pretty cool. As far as playing goes, if you don't have anyone to hit with, show up at Ruth Hardy Park early (like 7:45am) and find the courts with all the local guys and ask them if you can join for doubles. If you're a good player and a nice person you'll be set.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway | Explore San Jacinto Peak

Escape the desert with a dramatic ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. From the summit, take a hike or enjoy the stunning panoramic views.

www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com

Discover the Beauty of Indian Canyons: Hiking, Waterfalls & Culture in Palm Springs ️

Embark on an unforgettable adventure in Palm Springs’ Indian Canyons! Hike through lush oases, explore rich history, and enjoy stunning waterfalls. Experience nature and culture in this breathtaking desert oasis. #IndianCanyons #VisitPalmSprings #HikingAdventure #NatureLovers

visitpalmsprings.com

Ruth Hardy Park | City of Palm Springs

 

[Jack the Hack]

Thanks! I finally booked my flights for March 4–9. Is there anything fun to do around the area? I was looking at Joshua Tree National Park, which seems like the main nature option. I’m also planning to bring my tennis racket and try to find some partners to play with while I’m there. By the way, is this is tennis warehouse tent you mentioned?

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

Nope, I'm not talking about the Tennis Warehouse brick and mortar store. Instead, during the Indian Wells tournament, Tennis Warehouse usually sets up a temporary tent store right next this practice court that is behind Stadium One. It's located in the top left side of this picture of the grounds (highlighted in yellow, circled in red):

That whole area up in that part of the grounds will be filled with tents from different vendors during the tournament.

Also, @atatu 's summary of things to do in the Palm Springs area covers everything I know about. Pretty cool he ran into Novak at the top of the tram! It's not uncommon to run into players in restaurants around Indian Wells that first week since there are so many of them there, and they have to get food somewhere. One of my friends ran into Benoit Paire at a pub a few years back, and they ended up eating burgers and drinking beers together. Also, while I was waiting for my own food order at a local burrito place in 2021, I saw Taylor Fritz and his entourage stop in and pick up some food to go.

 

[remshaam]

Nope, I'm not talking about the Tennis Warehouse brick and mortar store. Instead, during the Indian Wells tournament, Tennis Warehouse usually sets up a temporary tent store right next this practice court that is behind Stadium One. It's located in the top left side of this picture of the grounds (highlighted in yellow, circled in red):

That whole area up in that part of the grounds will be filled with tents from different vendors during the tournament.

Also, @atatu 's summary of things to do in the Palm Springs area covers everything I know about. Pretty cool he ran into Novak at the top of the tram! It's not uncommon to run into players in restaurants around Indian Wells that first week since there are so many of them there, and they have to get food somewhere. One of my friends ran into Benoit Paire at a pub a few years back, and they ended up eating burgers and drinking beers together. Also, while I was waiting for my own food order at a local burrito place in 2021, I saw Taylor Fritz and his entourage stop in and pick up some food to go.

Wow! Lucky you!

 

[remshaam]

The qualifying rounds start on Sunday, March 1st and end on the 3rd. The first rounds start on Wednesday, the 4th. The top seeds all have first round byes, so they often don't show up and start practicing until the 4th. The seeds have their first matches usually on that middle weekend, so Friday through Sunday, which is March 6th through 8th this year.

I'm explaining this because if you show up on February 26th, nobody will be there, and if you stay until only March 2nd, all you will see is some of the first round qualifying matches with players outside the top 100. None of the stars will be there or practicing yet.

That second set of dates, March 4th-9th, is the first two rounds of the tournament, and that's when you'll want to go. That's when you'll see everyone on the practice courts and maybe an upset or two in those early rounds. In terms of attendance, the first two days will be OK, but the weekend will be absolutely packed with fans.

Personally, I'm going to be there from Monday, March 2nd, through Friday, March 6th. I just have grounds passes, which I already bought. I do have a friend with tickets in Stadium 2 on Thursday, and we might swap with her depending on the scheduled lineup. (She has seats for the whole event.) My plan is to see the final qualifying matches, stargaze on the practice courts for a couple days, and then get out of there on Friday before the crowds get super crazy.

I've been to the tournament about a half dozen times since 2008, so I know my way around the grounds quite well. However, in terms of hotels, I can't help because I have always been lucky to have friends houses to stay in down there, as I do this time. Same goes with restaurants as we usually just grab fast food or eat at the house we're staying at.

My Tri-Level team has Nationals in San Diego starting on the 7th, so I'll have my racquets in Indian Wells. However, my experience has been that finding open public courts is pretty difficult. I'm planning on doing a couple practices that week with one of my teammates, but we'll probably be playing at one of the private clubs our hosts belong to. If you can't get any hits in otherwise, one fun option is to go over to the Tennis Warehouse tent. They usually have a court where you can demo racquets against a ball machine. They rotate people through every 10 minutes or so.

Thanks. So for Thursday the 5th, it’s probably better to buy a grounds pass since most of the top seeds will have a bye. Then, as the dates get closer, we can check the lineup and decide whether to get a stadium ticket for Friday or Saturday depending on who’s playing? Or is it advisable to buy early as the tickets normally get sold out? Does grounds pass price remain the same or they also increase closer to the tournament dates?

 

[Jack the Hack]

Nope, I'm not talking about the Tennis Warehouse brick and mortar store. Instead, during the Indian Wells tournament, Tennis Warehouse usually sets up a temporary tent store right next this practice court that is behind Stadium One. It's located in the top left side of this picture of the grounds (highlighted in yellow, circled in red):

That whole area up in that part of the grounds will be filled with tents from different vendors during the tournament.

Also, @atatu 's summary of things to do in the Palm Springs area covers everything I know about. Pretty cool he ran into Novak at the top of the tram! It's not uncommon to run into players in restaurants around Indian Wells that first week since there are so many of them there, and they have to get food somewhere. One of my friends ran into Benoit Paire at a pub a few years back, and they ended up eating burgers and drinking beers together. Also, while I was waiting for my own food order at a local burrito place in 2021, I saw Taylor Fritz and his entourage stop in and pick up some food to go.

As a heads up, I was at the Indian Wells qualifying today and the court that Tennis Warehouse used to let people demo racquets on (that I highlighted in the picture in my post) appears to be gone now.

 

[Jack the Hack]

Thanks. So for Thursday the 5th, it’s probably better to buy a grounds pass since most of the top seeds will have a bye. Then, as the dates get closer, we can check the lineup and decide whether to get a stadium ticket for Friday or Saturday depending on who’s playing? Or is it advisable to buy early as the tickets normally get sold out? Does grounds pass price remain the same or they also increase closer to the tournament dates?

The grounds passes are $10 for the qualifier rounds on March 1st-3rd. The grounds pass is $30 on Wednesday, March 4th, and $40 on Thursday, March 5th. The price doesn't go up dynamically as time goes on unless they sell out, and then people hock them for more than face value on the resell platforms. I didn't look at the prices beyond Thursday on the website because I won't be here after then.

If you download the BNP Parabas tournament app, they publish the schedule of matches and practices the night before. Then you can choose what you want to do.

I might have 2 grounds passes to give away for Thursday, but haven't decided yet. I mentioned that I was set to play in the Tri-Level Nationals in San Diego this upcoming weekend. However, I just found out yesterday that I have been essentially disqualified from playing, even though we followed all the rules and everything meets their regulations. We appealed, but the USTA is being obstinate. At this point, I'm very bitter about it and I'm thinking about heading home early, even though it's going to cost over $1,000.

That said, getting to watch Jannik Sinner play a practice set against Reilly Opelka from the second row behind the court for only $10 kind of took some of the sting away.

 

[Gastino]

Why are we ruining IW ?

 

[mad dog1]

As a heads up, I was at the Indian Wells qualifying today and the court that Tennis Warehouse used to let people demo racquets on (that I highlighted in the picture in my post) appears to be gone now.

That court was gone 3 years ago. The last 2 years, one of the practice courts was used as a demo court. This year there is no demo court at all.