Aryna Sabalenka having fun in front of the camera. She has to be one of the most entertaining people to photograph for photographers. Always a mood. 💖
WTA PREVIEW 2024 Indian Wells Open as Sunshine Double begins led by Iga SWIATEK, Elena RYBAKINA, Aryna SABALENKA and Coco GAUFF
WTAWednesday, 06 March 2024 at 09:43
The road to Tennis Paradise has concluded and the next 11 days will see Indian Wells begin for another year between March 6-17. Also known as Indian Wells Open (BNP Paribas Open), the California based tournament will be led by World No.1, Iga Swiatek as well as defending champion, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka among others.
Our preview looks ahead to the leading talking points as Indian Wells forms part of a double with Miami and is known to some as the fifth Grand Slam due to its place as a staple on the tennis calendar.
Swiatek heads into Indian Wells with clear road ahead
Iga Swiatek will start against Danielle Collins likely at Indian Wells who she took apart at the Australian Open. But also the pressure is somewhat off for the World No.1. This is due to the WTA standout not having to defend her top spot in the world rankings over the next week.
Swiatek seemed to be neck and neck with Aryna Sabalenka going into the Middle Eastern Swing with a back and forth likely which would see battle for supremacy rage. But Sabalenka sitting out most of the swing and losing to Donna Vekic in Dubai meant that these hopes have gone. As a result, she sits there with clear road ahead and ready to attack a title she won in 2022. Albeit like most of the big names, there is fragility there. She lost to an excellent Anna Kalinskaya in Dubai who now takes her place among the top 32 seeds with byes after previously having to qualify for tournaments like this.
She also lost to Linda Noskova at the Australian Open who she could face again. But Swiatek will look to peak at the right time and she does often this time of year with the clay court swing on the horizon. It is a good time to be the Pole at the moment albeit she does have competition on the horizon.
Sabalenka, Rybakina and Gauff lead chasing pack
The chasing pack is led in particular by a leading trio in Aryna Sabalenka who is World Number Two. She hasn't played a lot though this year but has won what counts in the Australian Open. A loss to Vekic since then shows that she may need some matches in order to return to her best, but she went into Melbourne after a disheartening loss to Elena Rybakina and was utterly sublime, so it is often ominous.
Elena Rybakina is also a question mark. The Kazakh was the star in many ways of the Middle Eastern swing winning Abu Dhabi and reaching the final in Doha, but often she is stunted by unwanted shifts in momentum due to injuries and illness and it was the latter again that saw her withdraw in Dubai. She has been on site in California in photo shoots and back practicing with Qinwen Zheng and it was only stomach flu, but last season also saw a similar halt to her season at Roland Garros where she was perhaps the best player in the world at that point. So will be one to watch for certain.
Same can be said for Coco Gauff who was flying up to winning the US Open, but as of late has not been the same. A shocking loss to Katerina Siniakova in Doha after losing to Sabalenka in Melbourne, she was another victim of Anna Kalinskaya in Dubai which on the face of it wasn't a shocking loss. But she will carry the US flag at Indian Wells and with Jessica Pegula going through a coaching change, she is perhaps the most stable to bring the country success in Tennis Paradise. But like the other two, there are some questions there.
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Osaka, Kerber, Wozniacki, Venus Williams and Raducanu among returnees
Also there are the returnees and the intrigue behind them in the return to Indian Wells as Naomi Osaka who won the 2018 tournament returns for the first time since being in floods of tears after being heckled against Veronika Kudermetova. A much more level headed player since becoming a mother, she lost to Karolina Pliskova in a solid week in Doha and will go into Indian Wells confident.
Angelique Kerber is one that will look for form with the former World No.1 not playing since Linz, Caroline Wozniacki will also return and after an early loss in San Diego where her mission to gain wins didn't work, it will be Lin Zhu early on. Emma Raducanu could face Aryna Sabalenka early on in California. The former US Open champion received a late wildcard and has been waiting on this for some time sat twiddling her thumbs back in the UK. But it is now time for her to put her best foot forward amid a barrage of criticism.
Venus Williams has also received criticism for having a wildcard in the first place as the 43-year-old will return again and many have hit out at the tournament for giving her another opportunity. This is despite it being a US tournament and Venus being a tennis icon. But still she will have a chance to prove those doubters wrong. A superb tournament awaits, but who will reign supreme in the Garden?
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