BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, CA, 2026 - WTA 1000

tented

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DATE: March 4 - 15, 2026
SURFACE: Hard
PRIZE MONEY: $9,415,725
FIELD SIZE: 128
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Mirra Andreeva

Seeds:

1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Iga Swiatek
3. Elena Rybakina
4. Coco Gauff
5. Jessica Pegula
6. Amanda Anisimova
7. Jasmine Paolini
8. Mirra Andreeva
9. Elina Svitolina
10. Victoria Mboko
11. Ekaterina Alexandrova
12. Belinda Bencic
13. Karloina Muchova
14. Linda Noskova
15. Madison Keys
16. Naomi Osaka
17. Clara Tauson
18. Iva Jovic
19. Liudmila Samsonova
20. Emma Navarro
21. Diana Schnaider
22. Elise Mertens
23. Anna Kalinskaya
24. Zheng Qinwen
25. Emma Raducanu
26. Jelena Ostapenko
27. Leylah Fernandez
28. Marta Kostyuk
29. Maya Joint
30. Wang Xinyu
31. Alexandra Eala
32. Maria Sakkari

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The Tournament:

The Indian Wells Open, sponsored by BNP Paribas and known as the BNP Paribas Open, is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California, United States. It is played on outdoor hardcourts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, and is held in March. The tournament is part of the ATP Masters 1000 events on the ATP Tour and part of the WTA 1000 events on the WTA Tour.

The tournament is the best-attended tennis tournament outside the four Grand Slam tournaments (493,440 in total attendance during the 2024 event); it is often called the "fifth Grand Slam" in reference to this. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden has the second-largest permanent tennis stadium in the world, behind the US Open's Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. The Indian Wells Open is the premier tennis tournament in the Western United States and the second largest tennis tournament throughout the United States and the Americas (behind the US Open in the Eastern United States).

Preceding the Miami Open, it is the first event of the "Sunshine Double" — a series of two elite, consecutive hard court tournaments in the United States in early spring.

Between 1974 and 1976, it was a non-tour event and between 1977 and 1989 it was held as part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour. Both singles main draws include 96 players in a 128-player grid, with the 32 seeded players getting a bye (a free pass) to the second round.

Since 2024, mixed doubles has been introduced as a new category.

About Indian Wells:

Indian Wells
is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley. Incorporated in 1967, it lies in between the cities of Palm Desert and La Quinta. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 4,757.

Indian_Wells_CA.JPG


Tourism Guide:

 

MargaretMcAleer

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Wild Cards,
Venus Williams ( both singles and doubles)
Bianca Andreescu
Sloane Stephens
Donna Vekic
Jennifer Brady
Lilli Tagger
Katie Volynets
Alycia Parks
 

MargaretMcAleer

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The draw for IW will take place on Monday March 2, from 3pm - 4pm.
Tennis Channel 2 and the Tennis Channel APP will stream the draw live, this is the first time in the tournaments history the draw will be live
 

Murat B.

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Someone explain this wild card business to me...The organizers of IW could not find any up and coming teenagers to give them a taste of the big time, a chance to give them a little push and incentive, so they went to Venus and Bianca? Really?
 

MargaretMcAleer

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Someone explain this wild card business to me...The organizers of IW could not find any up and coming teenagers to give them a taste of the big time, a chance to give them a little push and incentive, so they went to Venus and Bianca? Really?
Bianca Andreescu, 25, is a former winner at IW, she won in 2019, not surprising she was handed a WC, Bianca has been injury prone sad to say even as a young junior, took time off the tour as she was struggling mentally, come back on the tour, most recently has been playing challenger events and won
Venus Williams a 45 yo youngster and legend has been given wild cards before IW, she puts bums on seats,in her prime and even now, I have no objection Venus getting a WC.
BTW,
Tagger is 18
Parks is 25
Volynets 24

Generally speaking Murat, wild cards are given to boost sales and fan interest, to promising players, including former champions, or Top Tier players whose rankings dropped to long term illness or injuries.
 
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Murat B.

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Bianca Andreescu, 25, is a former winner at IW, she won in 2019, not surprising she was handed a WC, Bianca has been injury prone sad to say even as a young junior, took time off the tour as she was struggling mentally, come back on the tour, most recently has been playing challenger events and won
Venus Williams a 45 yo youngster and legend has been given wild cards before IW, she puts bums on seats,in her prime and even now, I have no objection Venus getting a WC.
BTW,
Tagger is 18
Parks is 25
Volynets 24

Generally speaking Murat, wild cards are given to boost sales and fan interest, to promising players, including former champions, or Top Tier players whose rankings dropped to long term illness or injuries.
I already knew the answer, my point is that I do not agree with it. :)
If you need a 45 year old Venus to put bums on seats, maybe you have bigger problems.
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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I already knew the answer, my point is that I do not agree with it. :)
If you need a 45 year old Venus to put bums on seats, maybe you have bigger problems.
You are entitled to your opinion, as I said I have no problem with Venus being granted wild cards :)
The WTA is doing fine, it has good depth at present
 

tented

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Someone explain this wild card business to me...The organizers of IW could not find any up and coming teenagers to give them a taste of the big time, a chance to give them a little push and incentive, so they went to Venus and Bianca? Really?
The answer to nine out of 10 questions is: money. Venus will sell tickets.
 

MargaretMcAleer

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The draw has been done,
Projected QFs if the seeds hold,

Sabalenka (1) vs Anisimova (6)
Gauff (4r) vs Paolini (7)
Pegula (5) vs Rybakina (3)
Swiatek (2) vs Andreeva (8) Defending champion

List of withdrawals,
Boisson right forearm
V.Kudermetova microsurgery
Cocciaretto left thigh
Kasatkina right thigh
Yafan Wang lower back, hasnt played since she won the doubles title in Hong Kong in November 2025
Eva Lys right knee injury
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Some fun first round matches
Wednesday 4th March,

Badosa v Putintseva
Andresscu WC vs Rakhimova Q
Stephens WC vs Osorio
Haddad Maia can she get out of her first round losses in tournaments? vs Bouzas Manerio
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Some changes this year at IW from a year ago,
Dunlop tennis balls over Penn
Laykold court surface over Plexipave
Singles winner get $27,000 US more
Double winner get $11,000 US less
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Serving 10DFs did not help Badosa for starters, it was a Mess and Putintseva wins in straight sets 64 62 and that is her 2nd win against Badosa, Badosa lead their H2H 4-1 before this match, Badosa a former champion at IW.
Badosa now sitting out of the Top 100 Meh!
 

MargaretMcAleer

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Rakhimova Q wins 67(6) 60 61 against Andreescu WC. Andresscu had a foot problem after the 2nd set and this match was never really competitive again, good recovery from Rakhimova after not taking the 3 SPs in that opening set.

Camila Osorio wins 64 61 against WC Sloane Stephens. Good to see Osorio healthy after the injury she had in Merida last week and picks up a win here
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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The Top seeds await their starts on Friday,
Meanwhile,
Venus Williams WC, returns to the court, this will be Venus 10th appearance at IW, she will face Frenchwoman Q Diane Parry.
A total of 8 American women are set for action on Thursday,
Kenin v Siniakova
Stearns v Sierra
Townsend Q vs Bouzkova
Kruegar v Linette
Baptiste v Arango
Jen Brady WC returns to IW for the first time in 7 years, she continues her comback from mutliple knee and foot injuries, faces Ruzic
 
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