Indian Wells Tennis Garden is one of the most iconic tournaments on the tennis tour, complete with rich history and scenic beauty. There’s one unique thing about this event that happens nowhere else, the ‘Miss You’ Wall. Mainly, it is a wall with cardboard cutouts of top players missing the tournament. This year, Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic, and Ashleigh Barty’s cutouts all featured on the wall.

On Instagram Live via Tennis Channel, former World No.5 Eugenie Bouchard took fans on the walk-through of the Garden. During this video, she showed the floral-decorated wall and beside it the ‘Miss You’ Wall. The 27-year-old also said that “there are lines at this thing to take pictures with the cardboard cutouts.”

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The ‘Miss You’ Wall featuring Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Serena, Osaka, Thiem, and Barty

Towards the end of the video, Eugenie Bouchard‘s eyes fell on a one-of-a-kind setting at Indian Wells. 

“There’s another one which I thought was so interesting; never seen this at any tournament ever. It’s called the ‘Miss You’ Wall. So, it has cutouts of all the top players who are not here,” Bouchard explained. “You got Rafa, Naomi, Roger, Serena, Dominic, Novak, and Ash Barty.” 

Indeed, fans do miss the top players from the main draw of the tournament. This is the first time that Indian Wells did not have any of the big three (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) in the main draw since 2000.

Nevertheless, the young guns have exhibited a show of high-quality tennis. Although everyone had a golden chance to do well with the top players missing, the underdogs in the desert came through in the end.

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Who are the Indian Wells 2021 semifinalists?

On the men’s side, local boy Taylor Fritz, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, and British No.1 Cameron Norrie will fight for a spot in the finals. No doubt, any of the four can win this year.

On the women’s side, two-time champion Victoria Azarenka has already booked her place in the final. She defeated Jelena Ostapenko in the semifinal 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Spaniard Paula Badosa also overcame her friend Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the semifinal battle. She won in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. 

All in all, unexpected champions will be born in the desert this year. Who do you think will lift the Indian Wells trophy this year?

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