Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek share the table at the Champions luncheon as Indian Wells begins new tradition

Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek were spotted at the Champions Luncheon at the BNP Paribas Open on March 6. The duo are the defending champions in the Californian desert, having won the men's and women's singles titles twelve months ago.

Alcaraz was in excellent form in Indian Wells last year. The Spaniard was the second seed at the event and dropped only two sets throughout the competition and reached the final, with wins over both his closest rivals, Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

The Spaniard won 7-6 (5), 6-1 against Daniil Medvedev in the final to secure his fifth title at the Masters 1000 level.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek was in pristine form in the Californian desert last year. The Pole was the top seed and blew away the rest of the field, winning 6-4, 6-0 over Maria Sakkari in the final. It was the Polish player's eighth title at the WTA 1000 level.

Ahead of their 2025 campaign, Alcaraz and Swiatek were at the champion's lunch together in a new tradition started by the tournament. Both of them looked in good spirits, and ready to take the court this week.

Iga and Carlos at the Indian Wells Champions Luncheon today! byu/Federal-tortuga intennis

The Spaniard begins his campaign on March 8 and is scheduled to face either Quentin Halys or Pablo Carreno Busta. Swiatek will begin her campaign against Caroline Garcia on March 7.

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The court change at Indian Wells will be a new challenge for Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek

In Picture: Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek (Getty)

Indian Wells is an event which is known for its slow courts, which has proved more beneficial to some players compared to others. Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek are players who thrive in such conditions, and their respective records at the event are proof of that. The Spaniard has a 16-2 record, and the Pole has an 18-2 record at the event.

However, in an interesting development, the tournament changed its hard court surface from Plexipave to Laykold, initiating a surface change after 25 years. Alcaraz expressed his confusion at the decision but backed his adaptability to complete a hat trick of titles in the Californian desert.

"Honestly, it’s a change that I didn’t understand when I saw it, it was 25 years the tournament, it was the same court, and then right now has changed. I don’t know the reason why they did it. I have to practice on it. I think I consider myself a player who adapts his game very well, you know, on the surfaces and all the conditions that you’re playing on." said Alcaraz

Meanwhile, Swiatek was not bothered by the surface change and stated that it felt the same to her as in previous editions.

"Honestly, I don't feel much difference. We come here after a year anyway, after a year of playing on different surfaces. Everybody says it's a bit different, but I don't know. It's actually in the back of our heads because everybody is talking about it." said Swiatek (via tennis.com)

Swiatek's closest competitor top seed Aryna Sabalenka was optimistic about her chances at Indian Wells this year due to the faster courts. The Belarusian is yet to win a title here, having reached one final in 2023.