2021 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Postponed for 2nd Time Amid COVID Concerns

Tournament organizers for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, announced Tuesday the 2021 event has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Whereas the 2020 BNP Paribas Open was canceled altogether, plans are underway to move this year's edition to a later date on the calendar.

The BNP Paribas Open was one of the first main events to get scrapped due to the pandemic. The announcement came three days before the NBA suspended its season and four days before the NCAA canceled its winter championships, including the NCAA basketball tournament.

On Tuesday, the ATP Tour rolled out its tentative schedule for the 2021 season, with the BNP Paribas Open not listed in its usual March window:

The tournament is considered one of the biggest showcases outside of the four Grand Slams and generally draws all the sport's top stars to Indian Wells. Dominic Thiem and Bianca Andreescu were the 2019 champions in the men's and women's singles draws, collecting just under $1.4 million in the process.

The BNP Paribas Open isn't the first tournament of 2021 to be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The start of the Australian Open was pushed back from Jan. 18 to Feb. 8, which will allow for participants to follow the government-mandated 14-day quarantine upon arrival.