Early Storylines to Follow for Indian Wells 2016
The 2016 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells is just a few weeks away. The biggest tennis tournament since the Australian Open, Indian Wells is one of the few non-Grand Slam events that brings together the ATP World Tour's Masters and WTA Tour Premier level points, players and prestige.
Right now, top tennis players are dispersed around the globe. The WTA's best players are in Dubai, while the ATP's top players compete on different continents and surfaces.
When everyone gathers in the California desert on March 7, what will be the top storylines?
Of course, Novak Djokovic's dominance will remain a hot topic. Djokovic arrives as defending champion. Runner-up last year, Roger Federer is expected to return after recovering from knee surgery.
It may be the first tournament back for Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Angelique Kerber. None of them have played a tour match since the Australian Open. Kerber did play in Fed Cup. Sharapova was on Russia's Fed Cup roster but stayed on the bench.
So much can happen in a few weeks. For now, these are the early storylines to follow leading up to Indian Wells.
Novak Djokovic's Dominance
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Djokovic will enter Indian Wells on an incredible run. He's won four of the last five Grand Slams. Since the start of the 2015 US Open, he's 38-1. During that same time, he's gone 17-1 against top 10 opponents.
Is there any stopping the Djokovic juggernaut?
Venus Williams Returns to Indian Wells
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Last year Serena Williams brought her boycott of Indian Wells to an end. This year, it will be Venus. After shunning the tournament for 15 years, Venus has decided to play.
The sisters began their boycott after enduring an ugly scene at the 2001 tournament. While Serena had to play through taunts and tears, Venus sat through it all.
Venus told ESPN that she enjoyed watching Serena's return: "It was wonderful to see...I definitely watched every moment, and it was great to see her and my family there."
Roger Federer's Form
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Federer recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. He withdrew from Rotterdam and Dubai. Federer said he would return in a month, which means he's planning to get back in time for Indian Wells.
He doesn't have to worry about his status at No. 3. He has a comfortable points lead over No. 4 Stan Wawrinka. However, how Federer performs will be a major storyline at Indian Wells. At age 34, any physical setback is significant.
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Have Up-and-Comers Arrived?
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Dominic Thiem knocked off Nadal en route to the title at Buenos Aires. Taylor Fritz's run at Memphis ended with a loss to Kei Nishikori. However, 18-year-old Fritz became the first American men's teenager to reach an ATP final since Michael Chang in 1989.
Thiem, 22, is the youngest player in the top 20. This was his fourth ATP title. Of those born in the 1990s, only Milos Raonic has more titles.
Is this new wave of young talent for real? How they perform at Indian Wells could provide some answers.
Rafael Nadal Under Increased Scrutiny
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Speaking of Nadal, he and his uncle Toni (Nadal) are on watch. Fans are watching to see if Nadal is merely stuck in a rut, going through a slump or experiencing a steady decline.
It's one thing to suffer a first-round loss to venerable veteran Fernando Verdasco at the Aussie Open. But losing a clay-court match at a 250 level tournament?
The bigger the stage, the more focused the microscope. Expect Nadal's game to remain under close observation.
Pete Sampras Returns for Charity
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Pete Sampras returns to Indian Wells for the first time since 2010. Sampras will participate in the John McEnroe Challenge, a charity event that features former players.
Sampras last appeared at Indian Wells in 2010 for "Hit for Haiti."
The John McEnroe Challenge features men's singles and doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.
The event is free and scheduled for Saturday, March 5, ahead of the BNP Paribas Open. Other players expected to participate include Andy Roddick, Pat Cash, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Tracy Austin, Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe.
Players will represent a designated local charity, and 100 percent of the prize money ($80,000) earned will go to those charities.
Angelique Kerber Under the Spotlight
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Since winning her first Grand Slam title, Angelique Kerber has appeared on talk shows, played Fed Cup and had more media requests than she's used to.
How will she follow up her first big test since winning the Australian Open? How will she handle her career-high No. 2 ranking? The WTA's newest Grand Slam champion will find that the spotlight shines brighter now.
Indian Wells Upgrades
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As if desert sunsets, state-of-the-art facilities and the greatest tennis players in the world weren't enough, Indian Wells continues to improve its product.
Already considered the best tournament outside of the Grand Slams, the BNP Paribas Open gets even better this year.
They've improved seating at practice courts, included cup holders to 6,000 seats and added a sports bar that features 57 television screens. The tournament continues to strengthen its standing as the "the fifth Slam."
Tournament officials hope to attract 500,000 people. If they succeed, that would beat the French Open and Wimbledon.
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