INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—It was all smiles Tuesday night at the BNP Paribas Open, when best-of-three became Tie Break Tens. The short-format version of tennis drew about 8,000 fans to Stadium 2 to watch eight star-studded doubles teams compete for charity—and for fun.
Over the course of two-and-a-half hours, the teams played 10-point tiebreaks, with four squads eliminated in the first round. After the semifinals, two teams remained, featuring three Americans: partners Tommy Paul and Madison Keys, along with Taylor Fritz (and Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina).
In the end, Rybakina and Fritz claimed the title, winning $200,000 in support of the Coachella Valley:
But when the players weren’t competing, they were still giving. Seated along the sideline watching the tiebreaks—right by our photographer—they remained part of the fun evening out.
Here are some up-close shots of the stars before the big show begins at Indian Wells:
Some other shots we loved:
Was this the making of a mixed doubles pairing? The US Open is surely hoping so.
“Before we started I said I think if we both serve well, I don’t know how we’re really gonna lose,” said Fritz.
“I just asked Elena if she wants to play mixed at the US Open. Hopefully she says yes.”
