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World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will headline the Indian Wells 2024 next as the tennis fever moves to the United States of America this coming week.
Swiatek will feature alongside the top players in the women's draw and hope to capture her second title at the WTA 1000 event. She will enter California on the back of a title-winning run at the Qatar Open and a semifinal finish at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Last year's finalists, Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Elena Rybakina will also feature at the Indian Wells. Local favourite Coco Gauff will look to break her duck at the event and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka will enter the main draw via her protected ranking.
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The women's tour has shown this season, that a top five player in the world can be vulnerable against any competitor on tour. With the action heating up in the Californian dessert, it'll be interesting to see who sets the tone early at the Indian Wells and stakes their claim for the title.
On that note, let's take a look at five players in the women's draw who are favourite to win at the Indian Wells.
5) Jessica Pegula: Back in the mix after a breif injury spell
World No. 5 Jessica Pegula will be gearing up to make her sixth appearance at the Indian Wells 2024 next week.
The American has made a hot and cold start to the season, chalking up a semifinal appearance at the Adelaide International and a disappointing second-round exit at the Australian Open. Things only got tougher post her brief stint in Melbourne, as Pegula was then forced to miss the Middle-East swing due to a minor neck injury.
However, considering her remarkable record at hardcourt events, Pegula is surely among the favourites to make a deep run. She reached the fourth round of the Indian Wells last year, before falling to Petra Kvitova in a close three-set bout 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(11).
The fifth-seed will be hoping to improve her result this year and make a solid impact at the highest level. The expressive local crowd will add to her chances as well, backing her during challenging situations against top-quality opposition.
4) Elena Rybakina: Promising start to the new calendar year
Defending champion Elena Rybakina looks in good nick on the women's tour this year. She has registered 17 wins from 20 matches so far, including title-winning runs at the Brisbane International and the Abu Dhabi Open. She also secured a runner-up finish at the Qatar Open in Doha.
The Kazakh No. 1 will be making her fourth appearance at Indian Wells 2024. She put up an outstanding performance last year, outsmarting the likes of Paula Badosa, Karolina Muchova, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka en route to the title and there is no reason why the World No. 4 can't repeat the same in the upcoming week.
If Rybakina stays fit throughout the event and backs herself during crucial moments, she can successfully defend her title this year.
3) Coco Gauff: A big result is always aroung the corner for the American
Coco Gauff is a force to be reckoned with on the women's tour. It is important to note that the American is still only 19-year-old and has immense potential to improve further. Having said that, she is still level above most of the competition on the women's tour.
Gauff has made a strong start to the season, initially defending her title at the ASB Classic and then reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open. She will enter Indian Wells, on the back of a quarterfinal finish at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Despite being a set up against Anna Kalinskaya, the youngster couldn't edge past the Russian in the last eight.
If Gauff manages to find her rhythm early on the hardcourts and tries to be more aware about her tactical approach, she could go the distance at the Indian Wells.
2) Iga Swiatek: Chasing her second title at the dessert
It's no surprise that World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is among the favourites to win at Indian Wells 2024. She is the top seed at the event and will enter California on the back of a title-winning run at the Qatar Open and a semifinal finish at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The Pole outclassed her near rivals Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina in their most recent encounters on the main tour. Four of her last five titles have also come on the hardcourt surface. She will be keen to enter the clay swing on a high and make a significant impact in the United States this month.
1) Aryna Sabalenka: Arguablty the top favorite to win
Lastly, reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has a great chance of going the distance at Indian Wells. The Belarusian defended her title in Melbourne without dropping a set and has won 11 out of 13 matches this year. If not for her ordinary result in Dubai, she could have closed the gap in ranking points between her and Iga Swiatek.
Sabalenka had one hand on the trophy last year, defeating the likes of Barbora Krejcikova, Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari en route to the finals. Despite a spirited effort against Elena Rybkina, she ran out of gas against the World No. 4.
Nevertheless, Sabalenka has had ample amount of rest in the last couple of weeks this time around. She will be raring to go at Indian Wells and perform at a high level to challenge for the prize.
