"If you win Indian Wells, you win Indian Wells": Fritz and Auger-Aliassime don't see 'asterisk' due to lack of Djokovic and Nadal

As defending champion last year, Taylor Fritz saw off Rafael Nadal en route to BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells glory with both Nadal and Novak Djokovic absent this year but the American doesn't see an 'asterisk' being there because of both players not being there.

Fritz said no one is going to look back and say the winner wasn' trightful due to two out of the Big Three not being present. “I see it as kind of the same as last year. No Novak, but at the end of the day no one is going to look back at this tournament 10, 20 years from now and be like, oh well there’s an asterisk there because these people weren’t playing. If you win Indian Wells, you win Indian Wells," said Fritz.

This is an opinion also held by Canadian ace, Felix Auger-Aliassime but he also says he does want to beat the best. “It’s not gonna change much I think [on Djokovic and Nadal’s absence]. At the end of the day, there is a great field of players in the tournament that’s gonna go on and it’ll be a success," said Auger-Aliassime.

“You know, I think for tennis, you want all the best players in the tournament. I think even me, as a competitor, like if I do win a tournament like this one, I wanna feel like there were the best of the best in the draw. Also, it’s not great for anybody that like Rafa and Novak are missing.”