“I’ll take Swiatek to make a big run and potentially win it" - Sam Querrey backs Iga Swiatek for resurgent Sunshine Swing

The Sunshine Swing is a hugely important time on the tennis calendar with many storylines set to be played out whether they are positive or negative. Former professional tennis players and analysists have picked out some of the standout players that they will be keeping an eye on in this period with Sam Querrey opting for the world number two Iga Swiatek to get back to her best.

The Pole began the year with a bang by winning the United Cup but was on the end of some damaging defeats in that run. She was then knocked out of the Australian Open in the quarterfinal stage to eventual champion Elena Rybakina and followed that with a hugely disappointing loss in the same stage at the Qatar Open.

These average results by her lofty standards continue from an up and down 2025. While she did win Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open which propelled her up the order, beforehand she feel down to as low as world number eight in the WTA rankings and could be under threat for another steep drop if she is not able to find her best form.

Former American professional tennis player Querrey has backed the six-time Grand Slam champion to get back to her best in both the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open, even winning one of them. “This is a tough one because pretty much every top player on the men’s and women’s side has had a decent start to the year," he told Tennis.com. “I’ll take Swiatek to make a big run and potentially win it — especially if she plays a handful of night matches or matches in the wind. I think she’s dangerous in those conditions.”

Swiatek's form in California has been remarkable in recent years. She won the title in 2022 and 2024 while reaching the semi-final stage in 2023 and 2025. If the pattern is set to continue, then a 12th WTA 1000 title could be coming her way. This could also be confirmed at the Miami Open where she completed the Sunshine Double in 2022. That year she won the first four WTA 1000 titles that she competed in. If she gets back to those levels, then she could be unbeatable.

Roger Federer's former coach Paul Annacone has opted for a different option. After a failed title defence in the Merida Open, Navarro has fallen outside the world top 20 after having cemented herself in this bracket over the past few years. She will be hoping to get back on track sooner rather than later.

Annacone makes a good point that she has had prior success in Indian Wells and believes that this is her time to get back on track. "I’m look for Emma to turn things around at a tournament where she made her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal in 2024. She’s been struggling late, but she’s far too good a player not to have more consistent results and I think being back in the States will help lift her sails."

Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard has averted her gaze to Coco Gauff who is still struggling to find her best game on court. The serve has been a huge issue still and despite reaching the quarterfinal of the Australian Open and semi-final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships most recently, the 21-year-old will not be settling for that.

The Canadian touched on the suitable conditions which could aid Gauff's game. She has made the semi-finals at Indian Wells once but never made it past the fourth round in Miami, with the chance to break new ground a huge motivation for the two-time Grand Slam champion. "Coco has had an underwhelming start to the year by her standards, but started to pick up her form in Dubai, where she reached the semifinals. The conditions in Indian Wells should really suit her game."

The WTA event at Indian Wells will take place from March 2-15 with the Miami Open closely following from March 16-29.