Indian Wells: 10 questions for WTA top 10 - Will Aryna Sabalenka rule? How will Iga Swiatek deal with tricky draw?
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Published 06/03/2024 at 17:02 GMT
Will Aryna Sabalenka hit top gear again? How will Iga Swiatek cope with her tricky draw? Will Elena Rybakina shine? We pose 10 questions for the WTA top 10 at Indian Wells. Rybakina is the defending champion at the WTA 1000 tournament but could face strong competition from Sabalenka, Swiatek and Coco Gauff, who will turn 20 in the second week of the event.
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The top stars from the ATP and WTA tours will battling it out at Indian Wells over the next fortnight.
Carlos Alcaraz is the defending men’s champion while Elena Rybakina won the women’s title in 2023.
Ahead of the tournament, we posed 10 questions for the top 10 players on each tour, starting with the WTA Tour…
Iga Swiatek
Can Swiatek avoid Australian Open repeat? Danielle Collins in the second round, Linda Noskova in the third. Sound familiar? Iga Swiatek might have to face the same early hurdles she did at the Australian Open, where she was pushed by Collins in three sets and then upset by Noskova.
Swiatek has looked good since her early exit in Melbourne – winning in Doha and making the Dubai semis – but this is another potentially tricky draw for the world No. 1.
Aryna Sabalenka
Will Sabalenka find invincibility mode again? Aryna Sabalenka was sublime at the Australian Open, looking almost invincible as she blasted her way to the title without dropping a set.
But after a shock loss to Donna Vekic in Dubai – after which Sabalenka said her “level of play was so bad” – she now needs to rediscover that level. That loss to Vekic is Sabalenka’s only match since winning the Australian Open, so she might take a little time to get back into her groove.
Coco Gauff
Will Gauff celebrate turning 20 in style? Indian Wells will be Coco Gauff’s last tournament as a teenager. The world No. 3 turns 20 during the second week and she will be hoping to still be in the draw when she celebrates.
After losing in the Australian Open semis to Sabalenka, Gauff didn’t make a deep run in Qatar or Dubai, but this will be her first tournament back in the USA since winning the US Open and that could push her on to have another big showing.
Elena Rybakina
Is this Rybakina’s time to shine again? Elena Rybakina was one win away from doing the Sunshine Double last year as she won Indian Wells and then lost to Petra Kvitova in the Miami final.
Her serve continues to be a major weapon and she has the most wins on the WTA Tour (17) in 2024. If she is fully healthy after withdrawing from Dubai due to injury she is a leading contender.
Jessica Pegula
How will Pegula move forward? Jessica Pegula comes into Indian Wells with a pair of new coaches – Mark Knowles and Mark Merklein – on her team. She has moved on from David Witt, saying she needed “something different” and “didn’t want to regret” not doing anything.
Pegula has made big steps forward over the last few year and will be hoping Knowles and Merklein can continue to move her upwards as she looks to rival the ‘Big Four’.
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Ons Jabeur
Can Jabeur turn tables on Andreeva? Ons Jabeur might be in a similar situation to this time last year, when she returned from injury at Indian Wells and then later said it was “probably too early”.
She missed Dubai last month due to a knee issue and it is unclear how fit she will be for Indian Wells. She has not been handed a great draw as her first match could be against 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who beat her in just 56 minutes at the Australian Open.
Marketa Vondrousova
Will the Wimbledon champion please stand up? The Marketa Vondrousova that won the Wimbledon title last summer has not been seen much since.
The 24-year-old hasn’t made it past the quarter-finals of a tournament since her maiden Slam win and has spoken about getting used to handling the pressures and expectations of being a Grand Slam winner. Rediscovering the winning mentality that guided her to victory at SW19 looks to be the challenge for Vondrousova.
Qinwen Zheng
Can Zheng go on another run? Qinwen Zheng had a breakthrough run at the Australian Open as she reached the final. Eurosport expert Tim Henman said afterwards that he is “convinced” Zheng will win Grand Slam titles, but for now the aim is being more consistent throughout the season.
Zheng took steps forward at the end of 2023 and comes into Indian Wells on the back of making the Dubai quarters. Another run to the last eight or further would be a positive result for the 21-year-old.
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Maria Sakkari
Is Sakkari a dark horse? Maria Sakkari’s form has fallen off over the last year, but she could be one to watch at Indian Wells given she made the final two years ago and semis last year.
She also has a new coach in her corner, David Witt, who has joined the team after splitting with Jessica Pegula. Witt helped Pegula reached No. 3 in the world and could be a good choice for Sakkari as she aims to move back up the rankings.
Jelena Ostapenko
How dangerous is Ostapenko? Jelena Ostapenko looks to be back in the groove this season. Only Rybakina has more wins than her on tour and she has lifted two singles titles in Adelaide and Linz.
The 26-year-old is a big hitter who is not afraid to go for her shots, and has spoken about feeling “more mature and more confident” this season. She is a player not many will relish facing at Indian Wells.
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