INDIAN WELLS, February 27, 2020 (Press Release)
Former World No. 1, four-time Grand Slam Champion and two-time BNP Paribas Open Champion Kim Clijsters was awarded a wild card into the 2020 event and will continue her comeback at the largest WTA and ATP combined event in the world, to be held March 9-22 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. In addition, singles stars Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have been awarded wild cards into the men’s doubles draw and will headline one of the strongest doubles fields on Tour.
Clijsters, who announced her return to professional tennis late last year after a seven-year hiatus from the Tour, will be playing in just her third tournament back. The 36-year-old will be returning to the desert – where she is a two-time champion (2003, 2005) – for the first time since 2011. A member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Clijsters spent 19 weeks as the No. 1 player in the world before retiring for the first time in 2007 to start a family. Clijsters returned to the Tour in 2009 following the birth of her first child, Jada, and won the US Open that August in just her third tournament back. She went on to win two more Grand Slam titles (2010 US Open, 2011 Australian Open) and reclaim the No. 1 ranking before retiring for a second time in 2012. Now a mother of three, Clijsters launched the third phase of her career at Dubai last week, and will also play at Monterrey before returning to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the 2020 BNP Paribas Open.
Where all the magic happens each March🌴
Welcome to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden 🏟#BNPPO20 #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/v2YVIuQEK6
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) February 26, 2020
The current singles World No. 1 and five-time BNP Paribas Open champion Djokovic will headline one of the strongest doubles fields on Tour, joining many top singles players in participating in both events. The 17-time Grand Slam Champion will pair with Viktor Troicki, who he teamed with earlier this year to lead Team Serbia to the ATP Cup. Djokovic also reached the semifinals in doubles last year alongside partner Fabio Fognini. Singles World No. 2 Nadal will once again team up with countryman Marc Lopez. The duo are two-time Indian Wells doubles champions (2010, 2012), and also captured the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.
The remaining wild card recipients for both singles and doubles will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 2020 BNP Paribas Open will welcome players and fans from around the world to Tennis Paradise, highlighting the idyllic and majestic beauty of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, as well as the incredible offerings that make the tournament one of the world’s most alluring and enjoyable sporting events. For more information about the BNP Paribas Open and to purchase tickets to the 2020 event, visit bnpparibasopen.com.
