Indian Wells

Indian Wells Media Director Matt Van Tuinen Honoured With 2025 Bud Collins Media Award

For the last 22 years, Matt Van Tuinen has celebrated his birthday in the same place. Not at home with his family, not out at a favourite restaurant, but at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

As Matt celebrated his birthday in the desert each March, he grew up alongside the tournament that holds a special place in his heart. He celebrated milestone birthdays - his 30th and then his 40th; he celebrated the birth of his children - Caroline, now 18; Charlie, 16; and Louisa, 13 - at a place that has become a second home to him over the years.

As the centrepiece of all BNP Paribas Open media operations for the past two decades, anyone who has been around Indian Wells knows how central Matt, or “MVT” as peers call him, has been to growing and promoting the event’s stature.

MVT got his start at Indian Wells in 2003, at an event then known as the Pacific Life Open. Lleyton Hewitt was the men’s champion in the desert that year, and Kim Clijsters on the women’s side. And a young teenage Swiss talent by the name of Roger Federer was just beginning to make noise on the ATP Tour.

And since that first start, MVT has been there every step of the way with Indian Wells, helping usher and lead the event to new heights. Matt’s steady guidance, quick thinking, and measured perspective have helped navigate the tournament through milestones and challenges over the last 20 years as it grew into the award-winning event it is today.

He often operates behind the scenes, rarely taking the spotlight as the event has continued to blossom and surge around him.

Maybe you’ve seen him on court during trophy ceremonies, or perhaps making an unexpected cameo during a press conference to play spoiler to a newly crowned champion. From opening Stadium 2 in 2014 to navigating the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; from coordinating a viral Kids Press Conference with Roger Federer to gracefully welcoming back 23-time Grand Slam Champion Serena Williams in 2015, few people are more deeply woven into the fabric of this cherished event than Matt.

For the most part, MVT leads at Indian Wells from behind the scenes, and it’s really only fitting. He is comfortable leading in the background, ensuring that it’s the tournament he’s worked so hard to promote over the last 22 years that always takes the spotlight.

But for 2025, the BNP Paribas Open is bringing MVT into the forefront, honouring him as the recipient of the 2025 Bud Collins Media Award.

 

Each year since 2009, the BNP Paribas Open has presented the Bud Collins Media Award to an individual or organisation who has been integral in covering, promoting and supporting the tournament. This year’s recipient is none other than Matt Van Tuinen himself – recognising the remarkable and invaluable legacy he has built through his two decades of service to the tournament.

^{Media paying tribute to MVT. Photo credit: BNP Paribas Open} 

While MVT is as present as ever at this year’s event with media operations kicking into full gear, his 22nd year on-site has come with added meaning and significance. In April of 2024, Matt was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Over the course of the last year, Matt has remained steadfast in his faith, navigating the complications and challenges presented by the disease without wavering in his commitment to his family, friends, and colleagues. He has continued to lead all aspects of his life with strength, humility, and grace – embodying what it means to put yourself before others and show immense courage and resilience in the face of adversity.

The tournament selected MVT as this year’s Bud Collins Award recipient not merely for his contributions to the event, but more so for his relentless drive to infuse creativity, character, and compassion into the core fabric of Indian Wells’ identity. Colleagues from around the world that have had the privilege of working with MVT over the last two decades know that his professionalism, citizenship, and selflessness are second to none. While the Bud Collins Media Award brings MVT into the forefront for a brief segment of this year’s BNP Paribas Open, his role at this year’s event remains unchanged.

He continues to lead all media operations with an ease and confidence that naturally commands the respect of all involved. He shares laughs and stories with the hundreds of journalists and staff members from around the world who travel to Indian Wells to cover the event each year, infusing personality with professionalism to create a work environment that breeds passion and demands excellence.

MVT will continue to ensure the show goes on in Indian Wells as smoothly and impactfully as it ever has before, orchestrating it all to run to perfection without commanding the spotlight. He will lead with a relentless purpose and selflessness to uplift others, himself, and Indian Wells.

Doing exactly what MVT does best.

This article is courtesy of BNPParibasOpen.com.