The WTA and ATP 1000 tournament, the BNP Paribas Open, is underway and jam-packed with highly anticipated matches featuring top stars and talents; however, this time the tournament has come with a few changes, upsetting fans. The tournament is taking place from March 4 to 15 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with alterations to Stadium 2 access.
Indian Wells Tournament Under Scrutiny From Fans With Changes in Ticket Access Rules
The BNP Paribas Open is the 50th edition of the tournament, with Tommy Haas, a former world No. 2 player from Germany, serving as the director. In the ATP, the lineup features world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, world No. 2 Jannik Sinner, Serbian legend Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Tommy Paul. Jack Draper will take the field as the defending champion.
In 2025, Draper defeated Holger Rune in straight sets to secure his first ATP Masters 1000 title. Whereas, from the WTA side, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka spearheads her campaign as the top seed, with world No. 2 Iga Świątek as the second seed, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina as the third, Coco Gauff as the fourth, and Jessica Pegula as the fifth.
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Along with them, Amanda Anisimova, Jasmine Paolini, Elina Svitolina, Victoria Mboko, Madison Keys, Naomi Osaka, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and others will be fighting for the title in California. The tournament’s incredible lineup will inevitably lead to prominent clashes between the stars, but fans’ experience has been marred by a change in ticket access.
The Indian Wells tournament’s new change with the ticket access states that with the ground pass, you can no longer access Stadium 2.
Through the official site, the tournament added, “*2026 Ticket Update – Stadium 2 Access. All tickets for Stadium 2 will be fully reserved for the 2026 BNP Paribas Open. A reserved seat is required for entry; there will no longer be any General Admission seating in Stadium 2. Please note: Stadium 1 tickets and Grounds Passes will not provide access to Stadium 2.”
Well that’s deeply annoying for fans there. https://t.co/hnc4bRv2PS
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 4, 2026
In his recent post on X, Ben Rothenberg, considering the latest change to ticket access, wrote, “Well that’s deeply annoying for fans there.”
The fans have expressed their annoyance at the change to ticket access, saying that with a single ticket, they cannot access Stadium 2, citing multiple reasons for the changes. On their official site, Stadium access information for all ticket holders has been updated. They have also further included the areas that the individual can access with their tickets.
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In Stadium 2 for the round of 128, Jennifer Brady will be clashing with Antonia Ružić, and Ashlyn Krueger will be facing Magda Linette. Whereas, in ATP, the American star Alex Michelsen will play against Daniel Merida Aguilar, and Hubert Hurkacz will clash against Aleksandar Kovacevic.
