OPEN TRADITION
Although her daughter Sophie is a high school senior and a budding fenc- ing champion, Mary O’Connor and her family have been hooked on tennis for decades. This love began in Indian Wells where Mary’s father, the late Frank O’Connor who was president and chairman of the board of Orbanco Corpora- tion, decided to purchase box tickets at what was a smaller tennis tournament on the circuit in the Coachella Valley. In close proximity to his former home at La Quinta Country Club, the event has blossomed into a major tennis event and sought-after ticket during prime time season in Palm Springs. The BNP Paribas Open is the largest ATP Tour and WTA Tour combined two- week event in the world. More than 475,000 fans attend the event each year, which features the best players in the world competing for more than $17 mil- lion in prize money. Oracle founder Larry Ellison owns both the tournament and the venue. Founded 50 years ago in Tucson, Airzona, the tournament moved to the Coach- ella Valley in 1976. Often called the fifth grand slam, the tournament is the best-attended tennis tournament outside the four Grand Slam tournaments with 493,440 in total attendance during its 2024 event. It is played in the Indi- an Wells Tennis Garden complex with 29 tennis courts, including 16,100 seats in Stadium 1 making it the second largest tennis-specific stadium in the world after the U.S. Open Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows. “The open is now a family tradition and something we wouldn’t miss,” O’Connor smiles. “If you cant come for the entire tournament skip the second week as you’ll be guaranteed a chance to mix with some players early on. Great tennis all the way around!” March 2 - 16, 2025 | More information at: www.bnpparibasopen.com
PHOTOS: BNP Paribas Open (Coco Gauff - No. 3 WTA and Novak Djokovic - No. 2 ATP); Mary O’Connor with a much-younger daugh- ter Sophie within their box at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
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