Stefanos Tsitsipas-Paula Badosa, Iga Swiatek Holger Rune, Ben Shelton & more headline star-studded Tie Break Tens exhibition event before Indian Wells
The sport's leading stars, including Iga Swiatek, Holger Rune, Ben Shelton, Paula Badosa, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, among others, will put on a show at the Tie Break Tens exhibition event before the Indian Wells Open on March 5, 2024.
The one-night-only mixed doubles event, officially known as the Eisenhower Cup, will pair up some of the most high-profile names across both tours. Players will compete in the Tie Break Tens format in which a single break is played. The first team to reach 10 points and lead by a margin of at least two points is the winner.
Eight teams will compete for a $200,000 prize, with the net proceeds from the event going to local charitable organizations. This will be the second time the Eisenhower Cup will be contested in a mixed doubles format after the inaugural edition last year.
Aryna Sabalenka and Taylor Fritz won the whole thing last year and have paired up once again this time. They defeated the Polish duo of Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz in the final, who returned to compete this year as well.
Former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki will partner her compatriot Rune. Reigning Indian Wells Open champion Elena Rybakina will team up with World No. 5 Andrey Rublev.
Americans Tommy Paul and Jessica Pegula will join forces, with Emma Navarro and Shelton doing the same. Lovebirds Tstisipas and Badosa will compete together, while Frances Tiafoe will be paired alongside Zheng Qinwen.
The Eisenhower Cup is a precursor to the Indian Wells Open. Before the now-established mixed doubles setup, it was held as a women's singles event in 2022 to commemorate International Women's Day.
Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic lead the Indian Wells Open field after the Tie Break Tens exhibition event
The Eisenhower Cup is only a tease of what's to come as it drums up excitement for the Indian Wells Open. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will return to the venue for the first time since 2019. America's vaccine mandate had prevented him from competing here for the last few years.
The Serb was last seen at the Australian Open where his title defense came to an end in the semifinals with a four-set defeat to Jannik Sinner. It marked his first loss at the venue since his fourth-round exit from the 2018 edition.
Along with Djokovic, the entire top 30 is accounted for at Indian Wells. Rafael Nadal is also expected to compete here. On the women's side, the top-ranked Swiatek leads a packed entry list. She was the defending champion last year but lost to Rybakina in the semifinals.
Pegula had to miss the season's first couple of WTA 1000 events in the Middle East due to an injury. She'll now return to action here following a brief hiatus. Sabalenka, Rybakina, and Coco Gauff are some of the other leading ladies in the mix.