Indian Wells proves viability of tennis in post-Federer-Williams-Nadal era. Here's why

There was some doubt being cast that the BNP Paribas Open and the sport of tennis in general might not have the same luster as we slowly move on from the era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.

That doubt was erased emphatically during this fortnight at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, as a teen-aged men's champion was crowned and an epic women's final capped a tournament that saw more-than-bustling crowds throughout and high drama at every turn.

Here are my favorite moments from the two weeks that were:

Opposites attract: Alcaraz and Rybakina give very different celebration shows

You didn't have to look farther than their final-point celebrations to notice the polar opposite characteristics of this year's two singles champions. When 19-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz won, he let out a mighty roar, and flitted around the court yelling and engaging with the fans, arms raised in glorious victory. Women's champion Elena Rybakina, on the other hand, offered up an almost apologetic fist pump, and gave a quick 360-wave to the crowd and that was it. It was the type of celebration you might do in your kitchen if you finish the New York Times crossword puzzle.

BNP Paribas Open: Carlos Alcaraz ends Daniil Medvedev's win streak to grab historical Indian Wells title

BNP Paribas Open: Elena Rybakina survives wild first set to top Aryna Sabalenka in Indian Wells

And both carried that same energy into post-match press conferences. Alcaraz was all smiles, answering questions with wide-eyed enthusiasm. Rybakina was perfectly pleasant, measured and polite. Both are great champions and I wouldn't be surprised if both can show off their tournament-winning celebration style next year at this event as well.

Charming runners-up: Sabalenka and Medvedev

The best part of covering this event is that you really get to know the personalities of players when you see them in multiple interview situations, and for me this year's runners-up, Daniil Medvedev and Aryna Sabalenka, win the award for intierviewees of the year. You saw a little of Medvedev's comedy chops in his post-match speech on court Sunday as he thanked the physical tennis court on Stadium 1 for helping him reach the finals even though they had their differences. That wasn't an isolated incident, he was funny and engaging in every media availability.

And Sabalenka is the player who would probably surprise you most in an interview setting. She is such an imposing figure on the court with her power game and ferocious grunts with every contact, but in a press conference she gives off major goofy-teen energy. She is all smiles, has fun with reporters and tries jokes even though they don't always translate. She's just a joy. She was asked how she celebrated her Australian Open title. She paused, a smile grew on her face as she decided what to tell and what to keep secret: "Can I say that (smiling)? Like straight after the title, we went back to the hotel and all my team was drunk. I don't know how many liters they drink that day. They were the most funny and, yeah, memorable moment. ... but I didn't drink."

Fun with Frances Tiafoe

While 2022 belonged to Taylor Fritz as far as the American men's effort went, 2023 was all about Frances Tiafoe. The 25-year-old made it all the way to the semifinals, his best showing at any Masters 1000 event. He also won the press conferences with honest, funny answers to random questions. This was my favorite response from Tiafoe as he talked about learning the discipline it takes to be a champion from LeBron James and Steph Curry. Tiafoe rubbed elbows with the NBA elite when he played in the celebrity game during NBA All-Star Weekend in February.

"Getting to know those guys and seeing that it's not a cliche thing, it's the same message, that anyone who is great, obviously, doing your business each and every day, the sacrifice you have to make for it. It's funny, your parents tell you the same (stuff) all the time, but when you hear it from Steph Curry or you hear it from LeBron, it hits a little different. I'm sorry. Sorry, mom. Sorry, dad. It's a little different hearing it from them. When they tell me that, yeah, I think it's time to make some sacrifice (smiling)."

They're back: Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu

One of my favorite developments at this year's event was the eye-opening performance of two recent Grand Slam champions on the women's side, Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu. Andreescu, the 2019 BNP Paribas Open and U.S. Open champion, has not been a factor on the big stage in recent years due to injuries and poor play, but during this event she looked sharp. She was moving well, hitting with power and, of course, had that bulldog toughness she'll never lose. Raducanu quite simply played as well as she has at any event since bursting on the scene in winning the 2021 U.S. Open. Despite entering the tournament with a litany of injuries and illnesses that didn't allow her to practice much, she won three matches and looked fast and strong doing it. Both players, coincidentally, were eventually knocked out by World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, but welcome back Bianca and Emma.

The crowds at Indian Wells bring the (good) noise

I can't let this tournament go by without commenting on the large and engaged crowds and how much extra life they gave the tournament this year. I went to the upper deck of Stadium 1 to look over the grounds, and what struck me the most was seeing the outer stadiums, stadiums 4, 5 and 6 were all packed to the brim. I'd never seen that before. And that first Saturday crowd for the Taylor Fritz-Ben Shelton match was crazy. That was the day the tournament had a single-day record of 61,000 tickets sold, and the energy in that Stadium that day rivaled any finals match I've ever seen here. An amazing moment for an early round match that was literally Fritz's first match of the tournament. Sure, the larger crowds brought with it longer lines for food, and maybe 10 extra minutes in traffic than previous years, but the boost it brought to the tennis was worth it as a spectator in my opinion.

Yay us! Desert Sun garners media award

The tournament was kind enough to honor The Desert Sun's sports and photo team with the annual Bud Collins Media Award this year, and it was a pretty neat experience. Here's a little behind-the-curtain tidbit for you. We were supposed to be honored on the court after the Daniil Medvedev vs. Alexander Zverev match on Tuesday, March 14, and when Medvedev collapsed mid-match with a nasty ankle twist, it looked like the contest was going to end abruptly. So they quickly and franticly whisked the seven of us from the suite-level pressbox area down to the court. As we hustled down a few flights of stairs, we got there just in time to see Medvedev all taped up and ready to play. We stood in the wings by the two bathrooms the players use between sets, while Medvedev continued to play, and won the second set to force a third set and proceeded to play what turned out to be the longest men's match of the whole tournament. They let us go back up to the media room to get back to work after he won the second set and then about two hours later, after the following match, we went back down again and were finally out on the court receiving our award. It was a memorable honor, made even more memorable by the comical hustle-and-bustle behind the scenes.

Woohoo! Desert Sun sports and photo team honored by tournament with Bud Collins Media Award

Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open: The top moments at Indian Wells from Carlos Alcaraz to Emma Raducanu