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The 8-player field is complete for the Eisenhower Cup, a one-night $150,000 winner-take-all TieBreak Tens event set to take place in Indian Wells on Tuesday 8 March as part of International Women’s Day, and proceeds will benefit local women’s organisations.
We are thrilled that The Eisenhower Cup will return to serve as a kickoff to the BNP Paribas Open and raise funds for such a worthwhile cause. Tommy Haas, BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director
World No 2 Barbora Krejcikova is the last to sign up, alongside Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, Leylah Fernandez, Paula Badosa, Maria Sakkari, Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur.
The format consists of first to 10 point tie-break matches in the 8-player single elimination draw, with a total of 7 matches being held during the course of the evening.
“Tennis fans will get to see the brightest stars of the WTA Tour in action during this unique and fun event, and we thank all of these incredible players for their participation,” said Tommy Haas, the BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director.
“What a perfect way to welcome everyone to another year in tennis paradise.”
Canadian Milos Raonic won the inaugural Eisenhower Cup in 2019, beating Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, David Goffin, Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem, Taylor Fritz and Gael Monfils for the grand prize in front of a crowd of 7,441 in the 8,000-seat stadium for the event.
The BNP Paribas Open was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Eisenhower Cup remained on hiatus in 2021, as the tournament was brought back in October, with less planning time to pull the event together.
Krejcikova, who played in Doha last week where she suffered a round-of-16 defeat to Jelena Ostapenko, is set to return to action at the Indian Wells WTA 1000, where she will be aiming to win her first title.
“There are still a lot of tournaments that I haven’t won yet,” Krejcikova said recently. “There are still a lot of players that are ahead of me right now.
“It’s just a lot of motivation. I see other players are doing well, they are improving every single day.
“I want to improve with them, and I want to get better than them. That’s the biggest motivation.
“I don’t really have lack of motivation right now.”
Krejcikova was one of the top favourites for the Australian Open but the Czech was beaten in the quarter-final by American Madison Keys.
“I have been struggling with something,” she said at the time after her loss. “Yes, it was happening and I didn’t feel good.
“I just don’t want to talk about it because I think Madison, she really deserves the win, and she really deserves to get the credit.
“That’s how it is,”
Krejcikova’s last two tournaments ended with an early exit and she will certainly be aiming to get back on the right track in Indian Wells.
Naomi Osaka makes her return at Indian Wells after her defeat at the hands of Amanda Anisimova at the Australian Open in January
Osaka, a former World No 1 and past Indian Wells champion, joins defending BNP Paribas Open champion Paula Badosa and 2015 champion Simona Halep (2015), with World No 2 and two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka, World No 6 and two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Maria Sakkari, World No 10 and 2021 Indian Wells semi-finalist Ons Jabeur, and Leylah Fernandez, the 19-year-old 2021 US Open finalist and Monterrey winner, at the charity event.
“We are thrilled that The Eisenhower Cup will return to serve as a kickoff to the BNP Paribas Open and raise funds for such a worthwhile cause,” added Haas.