Indian Wells is only days away, and many will be glued to the action as the BNP Paribas Open kicks off the tennis version of “March Madness.”  Questions will arise, such as can young guns like Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov continue to make headway?  Will a homegrown hero rise to the occasion?  These are just some of the fresh plot points that could unfold over the course of Indian Wells.

But while most appreciate something new, those old familiar headliners cannot be ignored.  The Big Four are still a force to be reckoned with, and Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray will be just as hungry to do well in the desert.  

For Federer, his trip to Indian Wells is about two things:  momentum and protecting his ranking.  Despite a major hiccup that came courtesy of a third-round loss to Andreas Seppi at the Australian Open, Federer is having a decent 2015.  Already he has two titles under his belt, the second of which came last week in Dubai, where he defeated Djokovic in the final.  He will be keen to build on that momentum by posting a deep run in the desert.  A deep run will also assist him in defending his finalist appearance from last year, a task which is all the more essential given that he has opted to skip the Miami Masters.  As a five-time champion at this event, however, there is no reason to suspect that Federer is not up to the challenge.

Another man who has shown himself up to the challenge at this event is Djokovic, and much like Federer, he is looking to build momentum and protect his ranking.  After claiming his fifth Australian Open crown and making a finalist appearance in Dubai, the Serb has already gotten his season off to a strong start, and he will be looking to continue that trend at Indian Wells.  Hard courts are his bread and butter, so that is where he needs to do the bulk of his damage.  Furthermore, as the defending champion of both Indian Wells and Miami, the last thing Djokovic wants to do is put more pressure on himself heading into Miami with a poor performance at Indian Wells.  Finally, Djokovic wants to come out of the spring hard court season firing on all cylinders.  It is no secret that Roland Garros – the one gaping hole on his résumé – is the title he presently covets most.  He could do a lot to help his chances if he is already playing great tennis and feeling confident before moving to the clay.

Rafael Nadal is a player who probably cannot wait to head to the clay, but that does not mean he will write off Indian Wells.  This year’s staging of the BNP Parisbas Open provides him with a golden opportunity.  Thanks to some lackluster results, Nadal comes into this event under the radar.  That said, he won last week’s event in Buenos Aires, so that should have him feeling better about his chances.  In addition to that, he lost in the third round here last year to Alexandr Dolgopolov, so he has a good look at gaining points and boosting his ranking total.  Such a scenario may seem a big ask, but fans know Nadal has reigned victorious at this venue in the past.  He might find that magic once again and put together a nice run here in 2015.

Another man who will also be hoping to discover a little magic is the final member of the Big Four, Andy Murray.  He is the only one of the four not to have hoisted the trophy at this event, but a maiden title here could go a long way towards aiding him psychologically.  The Scot may have started off this year well with his finalist appearance in Melbourne, but he has suffered some setbacks of late.  He lost to Gilles Simon in Rotterdam and suffered an equally shocking defeat to Borna Coric in Dubai.  Since Murray has a history of sometimes struggling to pull himself out of slumps, there is a sense of urgency here in the desert.  Everyone knows he has the game to go all the way at the BNP Paribas Open.  It is just up to Murray to prove it.

Who will sizzle and who will fizzle under the hot desert sun is presently unknown.  But Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, and Murray all have the tools to put together a spectacular tournament.  There is plenty to be gained and plenty to be lost, and in the end, the coming weeks could have a major impact on what transpires over the course of this season.