This prestigious tournament has been in Indian Wells since 1987, having begun as a non-tour event in Tucson, Arizona in 1974. It has an unusual format, with 96 players in a 128-player grid. To make this work the top 32 seeds have a first-round bye, and the tournament runs for 12 days. The tourney likes to call itself the Fifth Grand Slam, played in Tennis Paradise.
It is certainly popular with both players and fans. Indian Wells has been voted the best Masters tourney by the players several times, including in 2022. It is the most-attended tournament outside of the 4 Majors, and has the 2nd largest tennis stadium with more than 16,000 seats. Along with the Miami Open, Indian Wells is known as the Sunshine Double.