Bnp Paribas Open Pre Qualifying Draw

Stadium 1 on Thursday, March 9, 2017 during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA.

Registration for the pre-qualifying singles event at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open will began Monday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. and will run until the start of the event, which takes place this year from Feb. 8-11 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Two participants, a man and a woman, will use the event to qualify for a wildcard spot in the main draw at this year's BNP Paribas Open, the largest combined ATP and WTA combined event in the world, which will run this year from March 5-18.

The first-through-semifinal-round matches will be best-of-three sets with a 10-point match tiebreak played for the third set, while final matches will be best of three sets.

Though it is unclear how many participated in last year's pre-qualifying tournament, more than 200 took part in the 2016 event.

More:New restaurant, site upgrades announced at Indian Wells Tennis Garden

Last year's pre-qualifying tournament brought in the largest draw in the event's history with more than 200 participants seeking wildcard berths into the BNP Paribas Open Qualifying tournament. It added to what has become the largest ATP World Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world, held annually in Indian Wells.

The site in Indian Wells will undergo a series of enhancements leading up to the 2018 tournament. The improvements will emphasize a lush, green environment to contrast the light, desert backdrop.

The project, which will include the addition of 62 palm trees throughout the grounds, and include a grove between the two main shade structures; a row in the Food Village; and a circle of trees outside the retail area, will bring color and vibrancy reminiscent of a garden blooming to life in the springtime.

That work will conclude prior to the pre-qualifying event.

The entry fee for this year's pre-qualifying is again $50. Entries will be received on a first come, first served basis, with a total of 64 spots available for men and 64 spots available for women. For more information, please contact Tom Fey, Director of Special Tennis Events at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden at 760-200-8229 or tfey@iwtg.net.

Andrew John covers tennis in the Coachella Valley and beyond. If you have a comment or a story idea, please email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.