Hordes of maskless, smiling tennis fans made their return to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden this weekend in the latest sign that fear of COVID-19 is beginning to fade.
The March tournament was the first major sporting event to be cancelled in 2020 as the pandemic began to take hold and last year's edition in October struggled to draw fans.
"Needless to say, I think all of us that are involved with the sport are very thankful that hopefully it seems to be getting back to at least a new normal." The press box is maskless and reporters are required to don them only when speaking with players inside the main interview room. "People from all over, different accents, no masks - everybody just feels good. I don't know if we should be that way, but it feels good that we are that way.Rafa Nadal staged an epic third-set comeback on the main court during Saturday's day session, which drew 30,673 fans, and the night session saw 11,785 attend.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Naomi Osaka brought to tears by heckler at Indian WellsNaomi Osaka’s match at Indian Wells took an ugly turn when a heckler made an appearance on Saturday.
Read more »
Naomi Osaka speaks to crowd through tears after heckling at Indian WellsAfter the match at Indian Wells, Naomi Osaka spoke to the crowd with tears streaming down her face.
Read more »
Naomi Osaka brought to tears by heckler during loss at Indian WellsThe ugly experience of Serena and Venus Williams in the tournament years ago 'went into my head,' Naomi Osaka told fans.
Read more »
Heckler makes tennis star Naomi Osaka cry during Indian Wells Masters'I feel like I’ve cried enough on camera,' Osaka told the crowd who had gathered to watch the tournament.
Read more »
Naomi Osaka Reduced to Tears After Indian Wells Heckler Screams 'You Suck'Naomi Osaka lost her tennis match Saturday, but that wasn't the worst part of her day ... a heckler set off a chain of events that reduced the tennis star to tears.
Read more »