From Roger Federer to Martina Navratilova: The oldest to lift the Indian Wells trophy

The Indian Wells ATP 1000, known as the 'Fifth Slam', has a history full of legends who have been able to lift the trophy at the Tennis Garden. Of course, the tournament has been dominated mostly by young players, so here we will remember the most experienced tennis players who triumphed in California.

The Indian Wells tournament, the first of the traditional Sunshine Double tour, is often presented as one of the favorites of the male and female stars. For this reason, the players arrive in California with great motivation to win the trophy and successfully start the first part of the U.S. tour.

Roger Federer, Martina Navratilova, Juan Martin del Potro and other icons of the circuit have not only known what it is to win at Indian Wells, but they did it at a point of maturity in their careers that, as we will see, is not the most common.

Throughout the recent history of the tournament, the common denominator among both the ladies and men is to find young winners, at most over the 28-year mark. The older players have often struggled to make it past the opening rounds, with few reaching the latter stages.

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Men's

Roger Federer (2017) | 35 years old

The Swiss master, Roger Federer, is together with Novak Djokovic the maximum winner of the Californian tournament. The former No. 1 has 5 Indian Wells in his list of winners, being the 2017 the last one he got. On that occasion, Roger had been out of action for a long time due to injury and when the season started, he came back renewed, winning the Australian Open showing a magnificent level;

Already in California, Federer would continue with his phenomenal performances, giving a great show thanks to his 'new' backhand, much more aggressive than what we were used to;

In a 100% Swiss final, the winner of 20 Grand Slam trophies would defeat his friend, Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 7-5, marking the milestone of being the longest reigning champion of the event.

Federer and Wawrinka before the 2017 final.

Ivan Ljubicic (2010) | 31 years old

Croatian Ivan Ljubicic is not far behind in this story, as he had one of the most complicated paths to the title, being also one of the most unexpected champions;

Ljubicic, who based his game on a fast and very difficult to read serve, gained confidence as he advanced to the next round. In the round of 16 he would meet the number 2 in the world ranking, Novak Djokovic. The Serbian would be no match for Ljubicic, who would defeat him in straight sets. In the quarterfinals he defeated the Argentinean Juan Mónaco in three sets and in the semifinals he met Rafa Nadal, whom he defeated in a sensational match by 3-6, 6-4 and 7-6;

Finally, the local and former US Open champion, Andy Roddick, would be his opponent in the title match. There, the former number 3 in the ranking would surprise again, winning the match in two dramatic tie breaks. This was the most important title of his career and one of the last great performances before his retirement.

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Andre Agassi (2001) | 30 years old

A few days shy of his 31st birthday, Andre Agassi would win his first and only title at the fifth slam. The Las Vegas native had been on the verge of the title in 1990 and 1995, but was defeated by Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras respectively.

The new millennium would give the winner of 8 Grand Slam titles the long-awaited chance for revenge. After breaking through in the opening rounds of the tournament, Agassi would meet Pete Sampras once again in an American final (and between two of the most experienced players on the circuit) to the delight of the local fans.

Agassi played his best tennis to beat his arch-rival 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 6-1, proving that he was still more relevant than ever despite the passage of time;

Juan Martín del Potro (2018) | 29 years old

The 'Torre de Tandil' is the youngest champion of this group, as he managed to place his name at the top of the tournament at the age of 29. With a career marked by different serious injuries, Delpo had to watch the tournament from the sidelines for several seasons, but in 2018 he would get his chance.

On his way to the title he defeated players such as Alex de Miñaur, David Ferrer, Leo Mayer and Phillip Kohlschreiber. In the semifinals, the 2009 US Open champion easily defeated Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-3, to meet an old acquaintance in the final: Roger Federer.

In a dramatic final, the Argentine would end up winning 6-4, 6-7(8) and 7-6(2). In this way, Del Potro would get rid of the thorn that had stuck in his side in 2013, when Nadal beat him in another great match.

The trend of young champions also refers to what happened among the ladies, with only two veterans among those who could lift the trophy: Martina Navratilova and more recently Flavia Pennetta.

Ladies

Martina Navratilova (1990-1991) | 33-34 years old

The legendary Martina would start the 1990s in excellent shape, despite being in the final part of her illustrious career. In 1990, Navratilova was in excellent physical condition and her level of tennis was never in question, which allowed her to win the title twice. In 1990 she defeated Helena Sukova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1, while in 1991 her victim would be a young Monica Seles.

Flavia Pennetta (2014) | 32 years old

Italy's Flavia Pennetta is the last experienced tennis player on our list. In 2014 Pennetta surprised everyone by getting into the final of the tournament, where she would face Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska. It would be a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 victory for the Italian. The following year she would prove that nothing was a fluke, winning no less than the US Open at the age of 33.

It remains to be seen whether the trend will be broken in 2025, although all indications are that the youngsters will once again rule in California's Tennis Paradise.

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