bnp paribas player party

Tennis From All Angles is a semi-weekly roundup of tennis happenings from the ATP and WTA pro tours, highlighting the most entertaining on-court and off-court news and gossip.

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  OnTheGoTennis‘ Rachel Vinson is in Indian Wells, CA this week covering the first U.S. outdoor tournament of the season. She snapped photos of tennis’ elite on the green carpet as they arrived for the BNP Paribas Open Players’ Party. The gallery includes Sam Querrey and Gael Monfils in their respective strange hats, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Julian Benneteau in European chic, Ana Ivanovic in an elegant indigo sleeveless dress, and Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki all in clean-cut blazers. Bonus: David Ferrer, simple and stunning.

• On a similar note, this year’s Hollywood themed Players’ Party posed the following question to tennis players: Who is your favorite actor and actress? Novak Djokovic keeps his allegiance to Robert De Niro, Ana Ivanovic goes with one of my personal favorites, Rafael Nadal sticks with the Spaniards, and Andy Murray picks a comedian. And guess which player answers “Sean Connery” as the actor who would play them in a movie. Doh! (Side note: Josh Hartnett still acts??)

• The BNP Paribas tournament website spotlights Novak Djokovic as he begins his title defense from last year. “I’m not really trying to position myself as a defending champion, because then defending is not really something that I want to have. I always try to get that aggressive approach… I still have the same daily routine, same approach to my career, to the life that I’m having. I don’t consider myself being in the top of the world, being untouchable or unbeatable. That’s out of the question.”

• Matt Fitzgerald caught up with past BNP Paribas champion Vera Zvonareva to get her take on winning the 2012 Australian Open Women’s Doubles title with countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova, and who she would most want to perform with at the Grammys and why. Good choice, Vera, but don’t party too much!

• After the recent retirement announcement from Fernando Gonzalez that he will hang up the racquet after the Sony Ericsson Open later this month, Croat Ivan Ljubicic is following suit. With 10 titles and a career-high world number 3 ranking, Ljubicic is expected to play his last pro tournament at April’s Monte Carlo Masters. Tennis will miss you, Ivan!

• Haven’t had a chance to check out the top 8 ladies on the WTA engage in a little “Fun Facts Challenge” about each other? Watch as they (sometimes unsuccessfully!) answer questions on IQs, Nickelback, and Sam Stosur’s dog. I won’t deny some of these moments are embarrassing to watch!

• Ever wonder how SI.com’s tennis writer Courtney Nguyen first fell in love with live tennis? Well, wonder no more.

(Photo © OnTheGoTennis)