Indian Wells 2025 women's singles draw: Biggest winner and loser ft. Coco Gauff | BNP Paribas Open

The tennis carnival will shift to Indian Wells this week where the top players on the tour will compete for 1000 points in the WTA Rankings. The iconic event is set to feature World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and others in the women's singles competition.

Sabalenka and Swiatek will be the top two seeds at the event followed by Gauff and Jessica Pegula. Apart from Swiatek, none of the top four seeds have won the competition so far. The Pole is not only the defending champion in Indian Wells but is chasing her third title in California this year.

Reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys will also enter the event as the fifth seed. The American will make her first appearance since winning the title in Melbourne and is included in the top half of the women's draw. She faces competition from rivals Gauff and Emma Navarro en route to the semifinals.

With none of the big guns firing this season, it will be interesting to see if they can turn things around in Indian Wells. On that note, let's look at the biggest winners and losers in the women's draw this year.

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1) Third seed Coco Gauff handed a tricky draw in Indian Wells 2025

Gauff in action at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open - Source: Getty

Third seed Coco Gauff has been handed one of the toughest draws in Indian Wells this year. She will face five in-shape players en route to the semifinals, including two top-10 seeds, Keys and Navarro.

Gauff is expected to begin her campaign against Emma Raducanu in the second round. She then faces a stern challenge against two-time runner-up Maria Sakkari in the third. If she manages to begin on a strong note, Qatar Open winner Amanda Anisimova or Abu Dhabi champion Belinda Bencic might stand in her way in the fourth round.

Things only get tougher for Gauff as Keys and Navarro are among the favorites to face her in the quarterfinals. While Keys clinched her maiden title in Melbourne, Navarro won the biggest trophy of her career in Mexico last week. The 20-year-old will then need to eliminate Sabalenka in the semifinals and dethrone Swiatek to lift the title. Considering her recent performance on the tour, Gauff has her hands full in Indian Wells this year.

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2) Iga Swiatek skips rivals Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka en route to the final

Swiatek in action at the Tennis Championships - Source: Getty

Defending champion Iga Swiatek has made a slow start to the season. The Pole will have a great opportunity to turn things around in Indian Wells and has been handed a favorable draw this year.

Swiatek is expected to face Ons Jabeur in the third round and then Karolina Muchova in the fourth. She dominates the head-to-head tally against both players and shouldn't have too many problems entering the quarterfinals. The 23-year-old is then most likely to face Zheng Qinwen or Marta Kostyuk in the last eight. Paula Badosa of Spain is also among the front-runners but fitness concerns could dampen her chances in the initial rounds.

If Swiatek manages to get past the quarterfinals, Elena Rybakina or Jessica Pegula could challenge her in the last four. Her toughest challenge at the event could be Madison Keys or Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

With only one top-10 player en route to the semifinals, Swiatek has a great chance to defend her title this year.

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Honourable Mention: Aryna Sabalenka faces none of the top five seeds en route to the semifinals

Sabalenka in action at the MGM Rewards Slam - Source: Getty

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka will enter Indian Wells for the sixth time in her career this year. She's chalked up 10 wins from 15 matches at the event so far, including a runner-up finish in 2023.

Sabalenka has been handed a modest draw in Indian Wells this year. She faces none of the top five seeds en route to the semifinals. The Belarusian is expected to begin her campaign against Anna Blinkova and then take on Magdalena Frech in the third round. Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia could be her most likely opponent in the fourth and Jasmine Paolini could present a tricky challenge in the quarterfinals.

If the 26-year-old manages to win all of these matches, Coco Gauff or Madison Keys could present a challenge in the semifinals. Considering her record on hardcourts and a decent start to the season, Sabalenka has a solid chance to make an impact in Indian Wells this year. Her most likely opponent in the final will be defending champion Iga Swiatek. The Belarusian won their most recent encounter in Cincinnati last year and will hope to put up a clinical performance again this time around.