Indian Wells Women’s Preview: Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff Top 3 Seeds; Osaka, Wozniacki, Venus In Field

A star-studded women’s draw kicks off Wednesday at Indian Wells where the first Masters event of 2024 gets underway.

Defending champion Elena Rybakina returns along with 47 of the Top 50 players (Czechs Muchova, Kvitova and Krejcikova are not playing).

The top seed and tournament favorite is Iga Swiatek followed by the last two hard court Slam winners, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.

Also in the field are former champions Caroline Wozniacki and Naomi Osaka, plus the ageless Venus Williams.

The full Top 16 seeds are 1 Iga Swiatek, 2 Aryna Sabalenka, 3 Coco Gauff, 4 Elena Rybakina, 5 Jessica Pegula, 6 Ons Jabeur, 7 Marketa Vondrousova, 8 Qinwen Zheng, 9 Maria Sakkari, 10 Jelena Ostapenko, 11 Daria Kasatkina, 12 Beatriz Haddad Maia, 13 Jasmine Paolini, 14 Liudmila Samsonova, 15 Ekaterina Alexandrova and 16 Elina Svitolina.

IGA SWIATEK QUARTER
Seeds: 1 Swiatek, 6 Jabeur, 10 Ostapenko, 15 Alexandrova, 17 Kudermetova, 18 Keys, 25 Vekic, 26 Noskova
Floaters: Collins, Martic, Zhu, Giorgi, Boulter, Korpatsch, Putintseva, Volynets
Notable openers: Camila Giorgi-Katie Boulter, Angelique Kerber-Petra Martic, Caroline Wozniacki-Lin Zhu
Projected 3R matches: 1 Swiatek – 26 Noskova, 18 Keys – 15 Alexandrova, 10 Ostapenko – 17 Kudermetova, 25 Vekic – 6 Jabeur
Notes: Iga Swiatek, the 2022 winner, has some early danger with two players who have given her problems at the Australian Open: Danielle Collins and Linda Noskova. Down the road, it could be Madison Keys in the fourth round and then a host of players including former winner Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Ostapenko or even Ons Jabeur. Angelique Kerber and Mirra Andreeva are also in that section. Jabeur and Andreeva could collide in the second round.

ELENA RYBAKINA QUARTER
Seeds: 4 Rybakina, 7 Vondrousova, 12 Haddad Maia, 13 Paolini, 21 Kalinskaya, 22 Pavlyuchenkova, 28 Potapova, 31 Kostyuk
Floaters: Linette, Bouzkova, Badosa
Notable openers: Paula Badosa-Ashlyn Krueger, Tatjana Maria-Arantxa Rus
Projected 3R matches: 4 Rybakina – 28 Potapova, 21 Kalinskaya – 13 Paolini, 12 Haddad Maia – 22 Pavlyuchenkova, 31 Kostyuk – 7 Vondrousova
Notes: Defending champion Elena Rybakina is joined by fellow winner Paula Badosa in a very open part of the draw. The two could actually meet in the second round! Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova and Recent Dubai finalists Jasmine Paolini and Alina Kalinskaya could also figure when all is said and done.

COCO GAUFF QUARTER
Seeds: 3 Gauff, 8 Zheng, 11 Kasatkina, 14 Samsonova, 19 Cirstea, 24 Mertens, 27 Azarenka, 32 Kalinina
Floaters: Sherif, Stephens, Burel, Avanesyan, Bronzetti
Notable openers: Sloane Stephens-Mayar Sherif, Naomi Osaka-Q/LL
Projected 3R matches: 8 Zheng – 27 Azarenka, 19 Cirstea – 11 Kasatkina, 14 Samsonova – 24 Mertens, 32 Kalinina – 3 Gauff
Notes: Coco Gauff will play her first event in the U.S. as a Grand Slam champion. In her last event as a teen — she turns 20 on March 13 — Gauff could face former champion Naomi Osaka in the fourth round. But the big-swinging Liudmila Samsonova could play spoiler and former champion Victoria Azarenka and Australian Open finalist Qinwen Zheng will fight for a spot in the quarters.

ARYNA SABALENKA QUARTER
Seeds: 5 Pegula, 9 Sakkari, 16 Svitolina, 20 Garcia, 23 Navarro, 29 Fernandez, 30 Yastremska
Floaters: Pliskova, Cocciaretto, Blinkova, Siniakova, Stearns, Parry, Shnaider, Kenin, Raducanu
Notable openers: Anna Blinkova-Karolina Pliskova, Elisabetta Cocciaretto-Peyton Stearns
Projected 3R matches: 5 Pegula – 29 Fernandez, 20 Garcia – 9 Sakkari, 16 Svitolina – 23 Navarro, 30 Yastremska – 2 Sabalenka
Notes: A deep quarter awaits 2023 finalist Aryna Sabalenka. The best hard court woman on the planet, Sabalenka could see former NCAA champ Peyton Stearns, then the improving Dayana Yastremska with Elina Svitolina in the fourth round and Jessica Pegula in the quarters. Pegula is making her debut with her new coaching squad. Ex-coach David Witt is with Maria Sakkari now and the Greek is also in this section along with Karolina Pliskova, Leylah Fernandez and American Emma Navarro.

The projected R16 looks like:
1 Swiatek – 15 Alexandrova
10 Ostapenko – 6 Jabeur
4 Rybakina – 13 Paolini
12 Haddad Maia – 7 Vondrousova
8 Zheng – 11 Kasatkina
14 Samsonova – 3 Gauff
5 Pegula – 9 Sakkari
16 Svitolina – 2 Sabalenka

Former champions: Swiatek, Wozniacki, Rybakina, Badosa, Azarenka(2), Osaka
Former finalists: Kerber, Kasatkina, Sakkari, Sabalenka

Last year, (10) Elena Rybakina defeated (2) Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(11), 6-4.

LAST 10 INDIAN WELLS CHAMPIONS/FINALS
2023 Elena Rybakina d Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(11), 6-4
2022 Iga Swiatek d Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1
2021 Paula Badosa d Victoria Azarenka 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-6(2)
2020 — Not Held —
2019 Bianca Andreescu d Angelique Kerber 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
2018 Naomi Osaka d Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-2
2017 Elena Vesnina d Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4
2016 Victoria Azarenka d Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4
2015 Simona Halep d Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 7-5, 6-4
2014 Flavia Pennetta d Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-1
2013 Maria Sharapova d Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2

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