It is one of the biggest and most prestigious events on the WTA Tour calendar, and 96 women are set to battle it out for the Indian Wells title over the coming 12 days of action.
Mirra Andreeva stunned Aryna Sabalenka in three thrilling sets to lift the title twelve months ago, and both are back in action this year, with Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff among the other leading contenders at the WTA 1000 event.
The 32 seeds will all receive a bye into the second round, but there promises to be plenty of thrills and spills — and here, we make our predictions for who will lift the title in Tennis Paradise.
Tennis News
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First Quarter
Projected Q/F: (1) Aryna Sabalenka vs (6) Amanda Anisimova
World No 1 Sabalenka has not been in action since her loss in the Australian Open final, and she will look to bounce back with a first Indian Wells title — having lost the final in both 2023 and 2025.
The top seed has a fairly calm draw through the opening stages of the event, but could face a sizable test in round four, against either 16th seed Naomi Osaka or 18th seed Iva Jovic.
Whoever does progress from this mini-section could end up facing sixth seed Anisimova, with the American showing signs of improving form in Dubai two weeks ago.
However, Anisimova could face 25th seed Emma Raducanu — who beat her twice in 2025 — in the third round, and then challenge 10th seed Victoria Mboko in round four.
Having already reached two finals in 2026, rising star Mboko will head into her Indian Wells debut in confident form.
Prediction: Sabalenka def Mboko
Second Quarter
Projected Q/F: (4) Coco Gauff vs (7) Jasmine Paolini
Fourth seed Gauff was an Indian Wells semi-finalist back in 2024, and the home favourite will hope for a similar run after what has been a challenging start to 2026 at stages.
The good news for the American is that she has a fairly favourable draw early on, with the first seed she can play — 31st seed Alex Eala in round three — a player she has already beaten comprehensively this year.
Gauff would then be a fourth-round favourite against projected opponent, 14th seed Linda Noskova, before a hypothetical quarter-final against seventh seed Paolini.
Paolini has not been at her best in the early stages of 2026 and could face early tests against Anastasia Potapova and 30th seed Wang Xinyu.
The Italian could then face either 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova or 17th seed Clara Tauson in round four, two women who are among the biggest ballstrikers in the women’s game.
Prediction: Gauff def Alexandrova
Third Quarter
Projected Q/F: (5) Jessica Pegula vs (3) Elena Rybakina
Pegula and Rybakina have met in the WTA Finals and Australian Open semi-finals in recent months, and could now be set for a quarter-final showdown in Tennis Paradise.
Fifth seed Pegula has been one of the standout performers of the year so far, but faces a challenging draw in Indian Wells, with Donna Vekic a potential opponent in round two.
The American could then face both 26th seed Jelena Ostapenko and 12th seed Belinda Bencic before a hypothetical quarter-final against Rybakina, who beat the American in both Riyadh and Melbourne.
The Australian Open champion and 2023 Indian Wells winner could face 28th seed Marta Kostyuk in round three and is then projected to face 15th seed Madison Keys in round four, though the American’s form is somewhat unknown.
Venus Williams also looms in this section, and the tennis icon would face Keys if she can beat a qualifier in round one.
Prediction: Rybakina def Pegula
Fourth Quarter
Projected Q/F: (8) Mirra Andreeva vs (2) Iga Swiatek
Andreeva stunned Swiatek in the semi-final last year before lifting the title, and may have to beat the Pole once again if she wants to regain her crown.
However, the eighth seed could face a potential early test against 27th seed Leylah Fernandez in round three, before a fourth-round against ninth seed Elina Svitolina — who beat her in round four of the Australian Open.
Swiatek has reached at least the semi-final in Indian Wells for the last four years, and the second seed will be eyeing up a similar run after a challenging start to 2026.
She could face 32nd seed Maria Sakarri — the woman she beat in the 2022 and 2024 final — in round three, before a potentially tough clash against 13th seed Karolina Muchova in round four.
Muchova herself could face an early test in round three against 24th seed Zheng Qinwen, who is slowly returning to the tour after an elbow injury.
Prediction: Swiatek def Svitolina
Semi-final predictions
Sabalenka def Gauff
Rybakina def Swiatek
Final prediction
Sabalenka def Rybakina
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