The Australian Open exists on its own in the tennis calendar at the start of the year – not really connected to what came before or what ensues immediately after; it’s nearly five months removed from both the US Open that precedes it and the French Open that follows it. For most followers of the sport, the real start of the calendar year tennis season, for both men and women, is the PNB Paribas event at Indian Wells, which starts on Wednesday. Long considered the sport’s “fifth slam”, the tournament starts a torrid nonstop stretch of seven months of intense competition. As this long winter slowly loses its grip on the country, fans will revel in watching the best men and women competing under the hot desert sun.
But, unfortunately, the men’s side of the draw will be somewhat lacking because of the absence of Jannik Sinner, due to his three-month ban from competition for his “inadvertent” doping. Sinner will be able to resume playing on 4 May, in time for the Italian Open and then Roland Garros.
