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With the Indian Wells 2025 being right around the corner, fans have already started predicting their winners. Iga Swiatek will be back, looking to defend her crown in California, which will also see the return of Madison Keys for the first time since she lifted her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
The two women, however, face a whole host of competitors at this year’s edition of the WTA 1000 event held in the Californian desert.
With the players’ field settled after the announcement of the entry lists and wildcards, this is the perfect time to look at the prospects of some of the biggest names. Here, we have listed the five favorites to lift the women’s single crown at Indian Wells:
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#5 Elena Rybakina
Elena Rybakina has a lot on her plate with the controversy surrounding her association with former coach Stefano Vukov, but she showed signs of revival in Dubai.
The run to the semifinals was the first time where she showed mental toughness in more matches than one, coming through with tight wins over the likes of Paula Badosa and Sofia Kenin.
A former champion at Indian Wells, the Russian has everything she needs to succeed on hard courts. At 9-2 (82%), she has an impeccable record at the tournament. All she needs to do is find her range on the big first serve and groundstrokes, which if done, could spell danger for her opponents.
#4 Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka was looking ever-so menacing at the start to the 2025 season. However, it took just one loss at the hands of Madison Keys in the Australian Open final to take the sheen off.
The World No. 1 has since succumbed to the likes of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Clara Tauson. The message seems to be clear: high risk reaps high rewards against the ranking leader.
Playing at Indian Wells, Sabalenka, who is the top seed, should be ranked higher up the favorites list. But her lackluster 10-5 record at the tournament and slower-than-most hardcourts work against her. She did, however, make that one final a couple of years ago and remains in the mix to take home the trophy.
#3 Madison Keys
Madison Keys is another name who has not had the best history at Indian Wells. She in fact has a negative 10-11 win-loss record at the tournament, but that could well change this year.
The American has looked like a renewed player in the few tournaments she has played this season. And she has lost one match: to eventual champion Clara Tauson at the ASB Classic. A maiden Grand Slam title after the incredible run at the Australian Open title would have taken the pressure she has carried throughout most of her decade-long career, off her shoulders.
The only concern would be her match fitness, having been away from competition since winning the Australian Open. This will be her first tournament as a Grand Slam winner and with that comes its own set of expectations. She will have little time to adapt to the conditions but once she gets going, Keys could be hard to stop.
#2 Mirra Andreeva
Mirra Andreeva showed the tennis world just how complete of a player she is over the week-long run to her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai.
Best known for her clay court prowess up until now, the incredibly athletic teenager gave a good account of her baseline strengths. She out-performed the likes of Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Clara Tauson and Marketa Vondrousova, showing that she is just as adept at playing with pace as she is with slugging it out in drawn-out rallies.
The serve was also a revelation as she totaled 30-plus aces in the tournament.
In short, the confidence coming into Indian Wells, where she has played only one match in her young career, will be quite high. The youngster is an all-court player, and at this pace, she could well continue her hot streak in the Californian desert.
#1 Indian Wells defending champion Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek comes into the tournament as the defending champion and Indian Wells could easily be the venue that helps Swiatek rediscover her mojo after a few setbacks early in 2025.
The quick courts Down Under and in the Middle East exposed some issues in the World No. 2's armor as players were able to hit past her. At Indian Wells, however, the hardcourts are among the slowest on the Tour. That allows for Swiatek to have that extra fraction of a second on the ball, something that can make a huge difference in her game.
Swiatek’s love for the venue reflects in the numbers: she has lifted the title twice in the last three years, has never lost before the second week and has an incredible 18-2 (90%) overall record.
With Swiatek’s recent losses to big-hitters making for elaborate case studies on ways to play and beat her, things will not be easy for the defending champion. However, if she can move past those setbacks and reset mentally, she could regain the upper hand that she has often had in Tennis Paradise.
The Indian Wells will run from March 2 to March 16, 2025 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Coachella Valley, California.
