By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 5, 2021
The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells is back for the first time in two-and-a-half years.
Photo credit: BNP Paribas Open Facebook
Fall launches a major rise in the Coachella Valley.
Branded the “Fifth Slam”, the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells is back for the first time in two-and-a-half years this week.
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It’s a double debut—the first time Indian Wells, traditionally contested in March, is played as an expanded event in its first-ever fall edition.
The BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is the largest two-week combined event outside of the four Grand Slams and the most-attended WTA 1000 and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tennis tournament in the world.
Here’s our Top 5 Takeaways for the Indian Wells women's draw.
The BNP Paribas Open is set for October 6-17th. See the women's draw here.
Conflict Quarter
Focus first-week attention on the third quarter of the draw where we could see champions collide repeatedly.
Fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina and seventh-seeded Petra Kvitova headline this superbly stacked section of the field that also stars US Open champion Emma Raducanu in her first tournament since she made history as the first qualifier—male or female—to win a Grand Slam singles title, two-time former champion Victoria Azarenka, 11th-seeded Simona Halep, who arrives in the desert newly married and with a new coach and 19th-seeded Jessica Pegula, who’s at her best on hard courts. Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens and 14th-seeded Elise Mertens, who is pushing hard for a spot in the WTA Finals in Guadalajara next month, are also in this quarter. Mertens partnered Aryna Sabalenka to win the 2019 Indian Wells doubles crown.
Former Champions Face Challenges
Bianca Andreescu, who beat Angelique Kerber in the 2019 final, is reigning champion. The 16th-seeded Andreescu, who is now working with coach Sven Groeneveld, has a first-round bye and will face either American Alison Riske or a qualifier in her opener with 18th-seeded Anett Kontaveit looming in round three.
Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka resides in the dangerously demanding third quarter of the draw packed with prominent champions including two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, her potential third-round opponent, reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu, two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep and Grand Slam doubles champion Elise Mertens.
Newlywed Halep, who rallied past Jelena Jankovic to win the 2015 BNP Paribas Open title, will be tested early with her opening match against either Zhang Shuai or Marta Kostyuk with a possible third-round blockbuster against Raducanu, who is working with coach Jeremy Bates on a trial basis in Indian Wells.
Former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters, who raised the title trophy in 2003 and 2005 during a run in which Belgian women swept three straight BNP Paribas open crowns (Justine Henin was 2004 champion), is back on a wild card. Clijsters opens against Olympic gold-medal double champion Katerina Siniakova with the winner drawing 10th-seeded Angelique Kerber.
Darkhorses to Watch
We’re defining darkhorses as players outside the Top 10 seeds.
No. 16 Bianca Andreescu
Despite opening exits in two of her last three events, there have been bright spots this season for Andreescu, who reached the Miami Open final last April and the US Open fourth round last month bowing in an epic battle to Maria Sakkari. When she’s on her game, Andreescu can crack her forehand with the best of them, has sharp transition skills and knows how to drag opponents out of the comfort zone behind the baseline.
No. 13 Elena Rybakina
The Moscow-born Rybakina can use her heavy serve to play first-strike tennis against most opponents. Illness forced Rybakina to retire from last week’s Chicago semifinals, but if she’s healthy she can do damage. The 22-year-old power player has scored wins over Serena Williams, Garbine Muguruza and Olympic gold-medal champion Belinda Bencic this season.
No. 20 Daria Kasatkina
The 2018 Indian Wells finalist has won two hard-court titles this year and reached four finals. Kasatkina can shrewdly shift spins mixing loopier topspin with slithering slice, owns a tantalizing drop shot and clever court sense. Obviously, the second serve can be an issue as well as the fact she faces a possible third-rounder vs. former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber—the pair have split four prior meetings.
Who’s Hot in Desert?
Garbine Muguruza blazed through 10 straight games burning by Ons Jabeur to win her ninth career title in Chicago last weekend. Muguruza should carry the confidence that comes from a championship without the fatigue as she took two walkovers en route to the final.
All eyes will be on US Open champion Emma Raducanu, who rides a 10-match winning streak and a whirlwind of rousing fan support into her first tournament since her inspired surge to the Flushing Meadows title. The 18-year-old Briton has won 10 of her last 14 matches.
World No. 20 Anett Kontaveit has won 13 of her last 14 matches capturing two titles in her last four tournaments. Kontaveit did not drop a set defeating five Top 40 foes—Sorana Cirstea, Paula Badosa, Belinda Bencic, Petra Kvitova and Maria Sakkari—to win the Ostrava title last month.
US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez rocked the world in New York shocking three Top 5-ranked players—Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka—with a magical and emotional performance. Though it’s logical to think the 19-year-old lefthander is due for a hangover after her US Open breakout, if you follow Fernandez on Instagram she looks like she’s been training harder than fellow lefty Rocky Balboa did before his showdowns with Apollo Creed.
Olympic gold-medal champion Belinda Bencic is 15-4 in her last 19 matches, including victories over Roland Garros champions Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova as well as French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. At her best, Bencic can straddle the baseline and rip returns on the rise, especially off her lethal two-handed backhand, and could make a run.
Champions MIA
World No. 1 Ash Barty, No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who tested positive for Coronavirus, Naomi Osaka, Sofia Kenin, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Kristina Mladenovic are all out.
TV Coverage
It's all Tennis Channel all the time.
For the first time, Tennis Channel will televise the entire tournament live from first ball to championship ball on Sunday, October 17th.
TC says it will air live 12-hour blocks of the tournament most days with encore replays shown every night in case you miss the action live during the day relive it at night.