International fans join crowd at BNP Paribas Open

Fans travel from all over the world for a chance to see their favorite tennis players in action at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2’s Alexandra Pierce was at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden throughout the day Wednesday and spoke to people from as far away as London and Italy, and others located a bit closer in Chicago.

Although the fans come from very different places, they all have one thing in common — their love for tennis. And they also said there’s no better place to enjoy tennis than the desert.

The big draw this year is the Williams sisters are back in the desert together for the first time in years. And the way things are stacking up, it looks like they might end up facing off on the court; an outcome that many fans are hoping for.

A large crowd gathered to watch Venus Williams warm up Tuesday morning. Having a chance to be so close to the pros is another big draw for the fans at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

And for the younger fans, it’s all about those autographs. Some of them even shared their secrets about the best way to get players to sign a tennis ball.

And other fans were pleasantly surprised by the tournament, such as one woman we spoke with who was able to sneak away from her business trip for a little while to take in the sights.

You can watch Alexandra’s live reports from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden Wednesday night on KESQ and CBS Local 2.