Published: March 3, 2026 at 11:40 am
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who returns to competition for the first time since the Australian Open, lead the field at the BNP Paribas Open, the third WTA 1000 event of the WTA Tour season, which begins on Wednesday with a highly competitive field. All Top 10 players in the WTA Rankings are entered. Also returning in Indian Wells is Naomi Osaka and Madison Keys.
Sabalenka, who’s in her 80th week atop the rankings, will make her much-anticipated return in the desert. She went 11-1 in Australia, including a title in Brisbane and another trip to the Australian Open final, before sitting out the Middle East swing, and it will be fascinating to see what form she’ll be in in her first match in over a month.
First quarter
Amanda Anisimova is the second-highest seed in the section, and they’re joined by newly-minted Top 10 player Victoria Mboko and the returning Osaka, who won this tournament back in 2018. Iva Jovic, who lost to Sabalenka in Melbourne, is also in this quarter, as is Emma Raducanu.
A two-time finalist, Sabalenka has never won Indian Wells.
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Eva Lys vs. Caty McNally: Eva Lys is another player making her return at Indian Wells. The 24-year-old German, who’s down to No 70 in the WTA Rankings, cracked the Top 40 earlier this year after a strong 2025. But a hyperextended right knee kept her out of action in the Middle East, and she’ll be looking to get back in form. This will be their first WTA Tour match. (Lys beat the American 6-1, 6-4 at an ITF tournament in Slovakia in 2022.)
Potential quarterfinal showdown
Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova: It’s always fun when these two power players square off. They’ve been pretty evenly matched throughout their careers. Anisimova leads their head-to-head 6-5, but Sabalenka took three of their four matches last year, including the US Open final and the WTA Finals semis.
Second quarter
Coco Gauff, coming off an encouraging tournament in Dubai, tops this quarter, which also includes Jasmine Paolini. Alexandra Eala, who Gauff just dominated 6-0, 6-2 in Dubai, joins them, as does Linda Noskova, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Clara Tauson.
There are also a pair of former champions in this section: Paula Badosa, who won in 2021, and Bianca Andreescu, who won it two years earlier.
Yulia Putintseva vs Paula Badosa: This should be highly entertaining. Putintseva embraces the big stage, as we saw at the Australian Open, and Badosa is a former champion trying to work her way back to the Top 20. (She’s currently No. 106 after missing a good portion of last year). Badosa has taken four of their five career meetings, though they haven’t played since 2024.
Potential quarterfinal showdown
Coco Gauff vs Jasmine Paolini: The Rome final last year, won by Paolini in straights, comes to mind. Later in the year, in Cincinnati, the Italian again got the best of the two-time Grand Slam champion, coming from a set down to win. But Gauff won their final two meetings of 2025, in Wuhan and Riyadh, and leads the head-to-head 4-3.
Venus Williams will be up against a qualifier
Third Quarter
Nobody wants to face Jessica Pegula right now. The World No. 5, the top seed in this section, is coming off her 10th career title in Dubai. Her biggest threat will be Australian Open champion, and former Indian Wells champion, Elena Rybakina, who cooled off a bit in the Middle East and retired from her last match with an illness.
Also in this quarter is Belinda Bencic, Keys, Emma Navarro and Kostyuk. So, too, are Venus Williams and Cristina Bucsa, who just won her first career WTA title in Merida.
Venus Williams vs qualifier: Unfortunately, we don’t yet know who Venus will be playing, but it doesn’t matter. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, 45, will be making her 10th career appearance at Indian Wells, and if she wins her first-round match, she’ll become the oldest woman ever to win a match at this tournament. It will be quite the electric atmosphere for that one, guaranteed.
Potential quarterfinal showdown
Jessica Pegula vs Elena Rybakina: These two last met in Melbourne, where Rybakina won 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the semifinals. And at the end of last year, in Riyadh, eventual WTA Finals champion Rybakina came from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Prior to that, they hadn’t played since 2023. Rybakina leads the head-to-head 4-3.
Fourth Quarter
Two-time Indian Wells champion Iga Swiatek is the top seed in this section, and she’s joined by defending champion Mirra Andreeva. Last year, the then-17-year-old defeated Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, Swiatek and Sabalenka to win her second consecutive WTA 1000 title.
Svitolina joins Swiatek and Andreeva in this section, as does Doha champion Karolina Muchova, Zheng Qinwen and Maria Sakkari.
Lilli Tagger vs Varvara Gracheva: Tagger, just 18, has the potential to be a future star. The Austrian has been red hot to start 2026, winning 13 of her first 16 matches, including qualifying, WTA 125 and WTT W100 tournaments, and she has a real opportunity to make a statement here. This will be their first meeting.
Potential quarterfinal showdown
Mirra Andreeva vs Iga Swiatek: This would be a rematch of last year’s semifinals, which Andreeva won 7-6 (1), 1-6, 6-3 in one of the most entertaining matches of the year. They haven’t played since. Andreeva leads the head-to-head 2-1, having also beaten Swiatek in Dubai a few weeks prior.
