Indian Wells 2024: When does it start? When is the draw? Are Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal playing?

Indian Wells is almost here.

One of the biggest tournaments outside of the Grand Slams, Indian Wells is the first combined ATP and WTA 1000 event of the season and will feature almost all of the top men’s and women’s players.

Carlos Alcaraz will be the defending men’s champion while Elena Rybakina will be defending her women’s title.

When does Indian Wells start? What time will play start in the UK? What’s the schedule? And who’s playing? Here’s everything you need to know about Indian Wells 2024…

Qualifying starts on Sunday, March 3, with the men’s and women’s main draws beginning on Wednesday, March 6.

Both finals will be held on Sunday, March 17.

Play will start each day at 7pm UK time, with night sessions getting under way at 2am UK time.

The play on finals day will start at 7pm UK time

Indian Wells 2024 schedule

• Sunday, March 3 – Tuesday March 5 – Qualifying
• Wednesday, March 6 – Men’s and women’s singles first round
• Thursday, March 7 – Men’s and women’s singles first round
• Friday, March 8 – Men’s and women’s singles second round
• Saturday, March 9 – Men’s and women’s singles second round
• Sunday, March 10 – Men’s and women’s singles third round
• Monday, March 11 – Men’s and women’s singles third round
• Tuesday, March 12 – Men’s and women’s singles fourth round
• Wednesday, March 13 – Men’s and women’s singles fourth round
• Thursday, March 14 – Men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals
• Friday, March 15 – Women’s singles semi-finals, men’s doubles final
• Saturday, March 16 – Men’s singles semi-finals, women’s doubles final
• Sunday, March 17 – Men’s and women’s singles finals

The men’s and women’s draws will be on Tuesday, March 5 starting at 8pm UK time.

The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in southern California.

Indian Wells will feature most of the leading lights on the ATP and WTA tours.

Djokovic has not played the tournament since 2019 as he has been unable to travel to the US due to previous entry rules.

He hasn’t made the quarter-finals of Indian Wells since lifting the title for a fifth time in 2016.

Nadal made the final in his last appearance at Indian Wells in 2022 and will be making his return to the court after suffering injury in Brisbane early in the season.

Indian Wells is one of two Masters events, along with Monte Carlo, that Murray has not won.

Carlos Alcaraz will be defending his men’s title, as long as he has recovered from the ankle injury that saw him pull out of the Rio Open early into his opening match.

Daniil Medvedev could also be among the leading contenders for the title.

Women’s world No. 1 Iga Swiatek will be aiming to win her second Indian Wells title after success in 2022.

She will face strong competition from Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and last year’s Indian Wells winner Elena Rybakina.

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula be looking to make their mark on home soil and Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber will be back at Indian Wells after giving birth.

Two wild cards have been given to Venus Willians and Caroline Wozniacki, while Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic will not play as they are pregnant, and 2023 French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova misses out due to injury.

British No. 1 Katie Boulter has direct entry into the Indian Wells main draw for the first time in her career and might be joined by Jodie Burrage and Harriet Dart, who will enter qualifying.

Emma Raducanu’s participation is not confirmed and she might be waiting to see if she gets a wild card to play.

The British men’s contingent will feature Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans and Jack Draper.

Liam Broady will hope to make the main draw through qualifying.

The total prize money at Indian Wells will be $19 million (£16.24m), which is an increase of over $1.4m (£1.197m) from last year.

The two singles champions will each receive $1.1m (£940,940).