Helene Elliott: Pro tennis is at a crossroads. Who will step up at the Paribas Open in Indian Wells?
LOS ANGELES — The BNP Paribas Open begins this week just as professional tennis hits a crossroads, navigating toward an uncertain future without the great rivalry among the "Big Three" of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on the men's side and without Serena Williams' charisma and historic feats to set standards for the women.
Stars emerge, peak, decline. It's the cycle of athletic life on the court, ice, field or pitch. But as main-draw play begins Wednesday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the sport is facing the absence — whether permanent or temporary — of many of
