Tennis News

There are two sides to every comeback. Long layoffs may leave a player rusty and out of rhythm, but they have an undeniably refreshing quality that can sometimes lead to stretches of top-level tennis.

Out for over 22 months rehabbing multiple stress fractures and a bruised bone in her foot, former World No.42 Galina Voskoboeva makes her WTA return at this week’s Abierto Mexicano TELCEL unranked and in search of the form that made her last comeback so successful.

“This is my second comeback, so in the beginning it’s very difficult, but I didn’t expect it to be any other way,” she told WTA Insider from an ITF Challenger in Surprise, Arizona.

“The most difficult part of this comeback is not having a ranking; I’m playing small tournaments because I’m at zero, but it’s very difficult to even enter tournaments, and you’re always stressed because you don’t know if you’ll get in or not.”

If anyone knows how to come back, it’s the Kazakh, who made a major splash in 2011 following a seven-month shoulder injury. A qualifier at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, Voskoboeva reached the quarterfinals with wins over Marion Bartoli, Flavia Pennetta, and Maria Sharapova. She cruised into her first WTA final later that fall in Seoul en route to a career-high ranking in 2012.

“It does give me some more confidence because my last comeback was really good. It was very difficult in the beginning; I probably didn’t show my best tennis right away, but the second part of the year in 2011 was great.

“I don’t know if I can expect it to be that good this time, but of course I already have some ideas of how it will be. I know it’ll be very difficult in the beginning to show your game the way you used to play.”

Ranked just outside the Top 50 in the spring of 2014, Voskoboeva had recently won a doubles title – in Acapulco of all places – but was starting to feel a pain in her foot that would take her on two-year odyssey of rehab and recovery.

“I had a surgery where they had to take one bone out because it had three fractures; the bone was dead and couldn’t heal. Another bone was also fractured, but they left it in, because they can’t take out two bones!”

She laughs. before adding, “Well, they can, and you could still run, but not fast, and you can’t jump, so I definitely didn’t want that. I have one bone left, and it’s still fractured – it’s not going to heal.”

Arrived to Amsterdam! My next baby step is a start of rehab! Прилетела в Амстердам! Здесь я начну реабилитацию! pic.twitter.com/2XWXAmY9pd

— Galina Voskoboeva (@g_voskoboeva) May 7, 2014

She spent the summer doing physical therapy in Amsterdam, where the veteran took her time as a tourist in stride, enjoying the funny moments that occurred along the way.

“I came there one month after my surgery, when I was on crutches and in a cast. You can’t walk for a long time on crutches; I don’t have very strong arms, so it’d be like 10 minutes, and I’m dead! My mom bought me a wheelchair, and it was funny, because if we wanted to have a walk, I’d start on crutches and then move to the wheelchair! It was quite an adventure.

“I also got some benefits from that because there are a lot of good museums there, and there are huge lines. But when people saw me in a wheelchair, I was first in line and never had to wait!

“You should always take something good, even from the worst of days.”

I think this painting will look better in my room! Feel sorry for Van Gogh's museum but I'am stealing it!??? pic.twitter.com/eLwKyNbCQX

— Galina Voskoboeva (@g_voskoboeva) May 19, 2014

Voskoboeva returned to her base in Florida to train through the fall, initially aiming to return at the start of 2015.

“I didn’t expect to be away this long! I was thinking that it would be similar to the shoulder injury; this one was much, much longer and it was much more difficult.

“Everything was going well but suddenly I started feeling pain straight away during a practice and it swelled. I had another MRI, and we found there was a bruise on the bone. I don’t know how it happened; nobody can say – even the doctors! It could have been from jumping or running, but the result was a bruise on the bone, and I needed to have a rest.

“I had to start from the beginning, like I never did rehab before. I was very disappointed with that, and for a long time, the injury didn’t heal. I was working and working, but nothing was happening. I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to come back after that.”

This second season away proved to be one of self-discovery for the Kazakh; she traveled to Indian Wells and Miami and enjoyed the game from afar, embracing the role of enthusiastic spectator.

Congrats to @AndreyRublev97 with his 1st win @MiamiOpenTennis It was nice to watch his 1st appearance on big tourney! pic.twitter.com/Hb1js0boie

— Galina Voskoboeva (@g_voskoboeva) March 27, 2015

“I wouldn’t like to watch tennis while I was participating in the tournament and, let’s say, I lost. I’d be frustrated and wouldn’t want to see more tennis. This time, I hadn’t seen it in so long that I took all the benefits from that. I found out that I’m a very active fan! I love to cheer and I was so relaxed.

“I could spend the whole day on-site; I saw so many friends there, talking, the things you can’t do as a player. I saw so many different matches. I cheered for the girls, and I could be loud as a spectator. When you’re participating as a player, you can’t spend many hours watching in the heat and you don’t want to get tired. This time, I could come from the beginning of the day and leave after the last match. I didn’t feel bad at all. I was a fan, and it’s really a cool part of the game.

“When you’re outside, you’re watching the player and ask, ‘Oh my god, why are they so nervous? They should be more relaxed; it’s just a game!’ But once you’re coming back on tour, those memories of why they’re so stressed come back very fast!”

She took classes in Moscow and also successfully completed the WTA/ATP Professionals Course in Miami, a career transitions course where she earned USPTA and PTR Coach Certifications in preparation for a future coaching career, one that felt closer to coming to pass the longer she spent off the court.

“I had a lot of good coaches, and I took the best things from each of them. It was a little bit difficult because I was still trying to come back and so I was still doing my rehab, so I couldn’t study full-time. In Russia, they have a new rule; before you could be a coach just by having been an athlete, but now you need a special education. In our group, I met another athlete. She was a retired runner, but I found out that we were at the same Olympic Games.

“There were good coaches and athletes in my group, and it was really interesting to be with them, learn something new by speaking with them. I’m still in touch with some of them, and it was a good time.”

Студенты!? #гцолифк #Москва #студенты #ученьесвет pic.twitter.com/YgfNCmIwCs

— Galina Voskoboeva (@g_voskoboeva) May 29, 2015

Voskoboeva retained her own international coaching team for this latest comeback, hoping the three of them can pick up where they left off.

“I have two coaches because neither of them can travel full time: Erwan Leridant – he used worked with Vania King. When I’m in Russia and that part of the world, I have a great coach there: Alexander Zlatoustsov. He used to work with Dinara Safina. I also have the same fitness coach, Liliya Nurutdinova.

“When the injury happened, I was in good shape and was very disappointed because my ranking at that time was No.64 but for a very long time – for maybe two-and-a-half or three months – I didn’t have any points to defend. I was in position to, with a good result, make my best ranking. That’s why I think there’s nothing to change because I played well and I was satisfied with my team.

“It was actually quite funny that I didn’t have any points to defend. At that time I was No.2 in Kazakhstan, Yaroslava Shvedova was No.1. After the surgery, I went to rehab one or two months later, and I logged onto the Internet and saw the headline: ‘Galina Voskoboeva became No.1 in Kazakhstan!’ So after two months and a surgery I became No.1; I said, ‘Ok, not bad. I should be in the cast longer!'”

Very nice congrats from the men's part of the team!)) Thank you for a lovely surprise!??????? #teamkazakhstan pic.twitter.com/WbRlzMOfJd

— Galina Voskoboeva (@g_voskoboeva) December 18, 2015

Out of the cast and back on the tennis court for a comeback she herself describes as a “miracle,” Voskoboeva quickly earned her first WTA win in exactly two years playing doubles with former partner Anastasia Rodionova in Acapulco. Aware she will have to hit the ground running in Indian Wells and Miami, she plans to make her full-fledged singles return with high spirits and a sense of humor.

“This level of tennis, for the last two years, I saw it only on TV! When I’m at that level, I can talk about goals, but for now I’m not there. I’ve played so few matches after two years, it’s like nothing, and every time, I realize something is missing: maybe a shot, or I’m not moving that fast, or in the wrong direction! There are a lot of things I have to improve. You can see them only when you compete; you can’t really see them in practice because it’s a completely different level of concentration.

“The main thing is to be healthy and to take care of my body, and not to be too crazy about playing everything in a row and forget that I was injured! I still have to remember to treat myself: my body, my foot. Between the foot and the shoulder, I have many parts of my body that I have to treat well!

“I came to Fed Cup, and hadn’t played doubles the whole two years. When our captain was asking, ‘Galina, are you ready?’ I said, ‘I don’t know because I have no idea how I will play!’ Can you imagine? I have no idea if the level that I played last time in 2014 will be there in Indian Wells. I know I will do my best and try to prepare.

“I feel like Scarlett from Gone With the Wind: I will think about this tomorrow!”

Follow Galina as she continues her comeback on Twitter @g_voskoboeva!

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

The weeks following a Grand Slam tend to be calm in terms of tennis fashion, but in the past four weeks we’ve had new designs hitting the courts, plus some outfits introduced in January rose to their full potential in the less busy month of February. Let’s give the word to Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog and see the tennis clothes that stood out at this month’s tournaments.

Launched at the Australian Open, Nike’s striped separates were then in the shadow of Serena Williams’ crop top and Maria Sharapova’s sporty elegance, but the Nike Spring Premier Slam Tank and Nike Spring Premier Victory Skirt got the deserved exposure in February.

On her way to the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy triumph, Roberta Vinci sported the light crimson version of the lightweight tank with rounded side vents for extra comfort, while Sara Errani wore the same outfit en route to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title.

Elina Svitolina and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova rocked the same style, but they paired the white pleated skirt with the obsidian navy version of the breathable tank and highlighted the look with a chic retro red headband.

The Fila Spring Platinum Dress with a striking crisscross design detail of a tennis ball in motion was supposed to be Jelena Jankovic’s choice for the Australian Open, but the Serb made a last-minute switch, opted for a solid yellow piece in Melbourne and saved the launch of this memorable print for February. The sleeveless V-neck brings an extra stylish touch to the flattering fit. The Serb complemented the look with super trendy boxer braids and coordinating manicure. We expected nothing less from JJ!

Venus Williams is successful in everything she gets her hands on. The tennis legend not only won the Taiwan Open for her 49th career title, but she did it in her brand new EleVen Camilla Rose collection. After finding inspiration in brushstrokes for the Australian Open, in February the American introduced a blue botanical burst and lifted the floral Kaohsiung trophy in the EleVen Camilla Print Inspire Cap Sleeve paired with the EleVen Camilla Inspire Skirt, both featuring contrast crisscross stripes.

The collection celebrates the abundance of spring in perfect bloom, using washed layers of aqua, blue atoll and white grounded by limoges, a stunning shade of navy, and offering a harmonious group of solid color options to be matched with printed items.

The story of this black and floral Lotto Ursula line, as seen here on Jana Cepelova and Carla Suárez Navarro, is an intriguing one. The reason you cannot find these clothes on your go-to tennis shopping sites is that it is fitness and training apparel meant to be worn during practice and interviews. But, according to Lotto, the WTA players fell in love with the tropical dream pattern and since the shape, style and quality of materials allow it, a great deal of Lotto’s athletes chose to sport the clothes during matches. The Italian company is glad about this unexpected development.

 Now that you’ve seen them all, who is your pick for February’s WTA best dressed?

The opening service games of the season have been full of surprises, but with her booming delivery, World No.45 Timea Babos has been holding comfortably thus far in 2016.

“It’s my strongest shot,” she told WTA Insider before her first round match at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme. “I like to play aggressive tennis, and it helps to be aggressive with a good serve.”

Babos has hit a tour-leading 76 aces through 12 matches, a stat that has helped her halve her ranking in a matter of weeks – shattering a former career-high of No.59 – and earn big wins over the likes of Sara Errani and Eugenie Bouchard.

“So far, it’s all working really well because I’m improving and enjoying my tennis a lot. I’m so motivated, and it’s all just getting better and better.”

The former junior prodigy has always excelled in doubles, winning three girl’s doubles majors with Sloane Stephens and finishing one match shy of Wimbledon glory in 2014 with Kristina Mladenovic. A strong season with the Frenchwoman – one that included a rare win over Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza – booked the heavy-hitting Hungarian her debut appearance at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global last fall.

“The atmosphere was unbelievable; all of the luxuries and spectacle there are definitely worth working towards. I was really excited, proud and honored to be there, and I think it was a good experience.

“I’m still learning a lot, day by day at my age. I’m only 22, so it’s been a good process and I’m ‘processing’ in every way. It can be motivating – although I think I’m already pretty motivated,” she added with a laugh. “But it can just motivate me that much more, that it’s really worth the work every day knowing that, if you work hard, you can reach the highest levels.”

Babos’ brush with the big stage in Singapore left her with renewed determination to restore the balance between her disparate singles and doubles rankings, opting to further extend her season by playing pair of WTA 125K Series Tournaments in Asia – winning one in Taipei.

“Last year we had big goals in doubles. Obviously, I also had goals with singles, but Singapore was one of the main focuses. During the year, I couldn’t play all the singles tournaments I would have wanted because of doubles, and it wasn’t easy to make a good schedule with my singles ranking and with my doubles ranking combined.

“After Singapore, I thought it would be good to finish the year strong and try to make it easier to schedule tournaments from the beginning of the year. Thankfully everything went well, and it’s true: it’s a lot easier to make a schedule when you have a better ranking in both!”

She took that momentum into a productive (albeit unusually truncated) off-season with longtime coach Thomas Drouet – who led Marion Bartoli through a victorious Wimbledon fortnight in 2013 – and rang in the New Year with a run to the semifinals of the Shenzhen Open.

“We had our two-year ‘anniversary’ – if you could call it that – on the 19th of February, and it’s going really, really well. I enjoy working with him and I’ve learned a lot; he’s worked with top players before and has had many good results. He’s helped me a lot to improve every day, and we enjoy our job together.

“We like to step on court every day, even if it’s seven in the morning or 10 at night. Whenever we’re on court, we just try our best to improve.”

The improvements have been particularly evident on serve, which has evolved from a strength to a true weapon, the cornerstone of an all-out offensive strategy.

“We changed my technique a little bit, and it’s working out well. I’m more consistent with my first serve percentage, and more accurate with my spots. This is my strength, and my most confident shot. If I really trust in it, I can build my game around it, so I think it can give me a good base.”

Holding serve nearly 80% of the time, Babos draws inspiration from World No.1 Serena Williams as she grows more adept at using the shot to stand up to high-pressure situations – saving 65% of all break points faced this season.

“If you look at Serena, she might not always at her best from the baseline, but her serve is so unbelievable that it can cause trouble for everyone, and it also takes her out trouble. It can be an important shot.”

Hers has been key to this vein of consistency, as the big server comes to Monterrey with back-to-back wins at all but one of her tournaments in 2016 – the Australian Open, where she reached the second round for the first time in her career.

“I wasn’t consistent enough, and this is what was missing from my game last year. Since October, I’ve moved up about 40 spots in the rankings, which is definitely a big improvement. I’ve had consistent results so far this year – nothing huge, but still more consistent as I continue to work a lot on both the physical and mental aspects of my game.”

This week in Monterrey represents a return to where it all began for Babos, who burst through a window of opportunity to capture her first title in back in 2012, upsetting former No.1 Ana Ivanovic en route to the quarterfinals 12 months later as the defending champion.

“I was last in because Serena pulled out at the last minute. The day before I didn’t even know I’d be competing, and then all of the sudden I was in the main draw, going on to win the singles. The year after I won again, in doubles.

“Every year I have good fun here, and I have good memories. I just like the place; there is a little bit of altitude, which I really, really like. I also love the food, especially guacamole! This is one thing that makes me happy every day that I can have it.

“It all comes together, and so I’m really happy to come back and play here because of the good memories I have.”

Memories of her time atop the junior rankings – where she peaked at No.2 back in 2010 – also propel her forward as she and her former rivals continue to make strides on the WTA circuit.

“Our age group is actually one of the strongest of the past couple of years. We have so many good players born in ’93 and ’94. I won Grand Slams with Sloane, and played a lot with Kiki. I also played so many matches against Genie and the Pliskova sisters.

“I think it’s very good to always have these girls around. It gives a little bit of motivation to see that, if one of us can do well, then why not the other?”

Success is still very much an abstract concept for Babos, even as she finds herself quickly catching up to the rest of her cohort. But a positive mindset might be all she needs to start serving notice on the game’s biggest stages.

“My goal is to stay humble, to work hard and try my best every time I step on court, and to have fun. I really believe that if all that happens, I can have my good results and everything will happen how it should.

“I’m going to try the best I can and then we’ll see what happens.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

NEW YORK, NY, USA – The skies were blue, humidity nearly non-existent, and there was even a rainbow on Sunday afternoon as newly-crowned US Open champion and soon-to-be World No.1 Angelique Kerber returned to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the traditional Champion’s Photo Shoot.

Kerber was exhausted but beaming, walking the grounds with the air of a woman who believes in her bones that she is not only playing the best tennis of her career, but that there’s an even better version of herself and her game past the horizon.

WTA Insider caught up with Kerber to discuss what lies ahead.

WTA Insider: It’s been less than 24 hours since you got your hands on the US Open trophy. You must be tired.
Kerber: I am a little bit tired but also exhausted, excited, everything. After last night, it’s just the best feeling right now. To go home with my Grand Slam title again, my second one in one year, and of course with No.1, it means a lot to me. I’ll just try right now to enjoy every moment and everything that I did in the last few weeks.

WTA Insider: Three Grand Slam finals, two Slam titles, and World No.1. Which one of those accomplishments amazes you the most?
Kerber: Actually I think the Grand Slam titles first, because that’s always something I was always working so hard for, to win the major titles. To win two right now and to be in one final at Wimbledon, that means to me everything.

To then be No.1, what I was always dreaming when I was a kid, that shows me I played a really consistent year. To be No.1 you have to play great, not one day or one week, you have to play very well a few months, and this is also incredible to me, actually.

WTA Insider: I remember speaking with you on a couch when you qualified for your first WTA Finals back in Istanbul. At the time you didn’t seem convinced that you were one of the eight best players in the world. Take me back to that time, that breakthrough, and what it felt like then when you were trying to be comfortable with being a good player.
Kerber: When I reached my first Top 10 and also my first WTA Finals, being with the best players of the world at the end of the year, of course I was a little bit not sure what happened. I didn’t have the experience. It was everything new for me. I had to get used to everything.

Right now, years after, I learned a lot. I think I was growing as well. I was growing every year. I improved my tennis, I improved my personality and everything. This gives me so much confidence as well because I can look back and I can say I was learning. I was learning every year and this is what makes me proud. I took the chance to be now where I am. Finally I am still the same person because I am still Angie like I am a few years ago. This is what also for me really important, to stay how I am.

WTA Insider: When I see you now, you seem very calm and comfortable in your own skin.
Kerber: I’m feeling much for confident now in my skin and how I am. I think it’s because of my experience I know what’s happened, I know how to deal with pressure, how to deal with the things I have to do off court. That’s what gives me the confidence to, you know, dressing up, speaking, working, being how I am. Of course it takes a little while to get where I am, and it was really tough but really good.

WTA Insider: You mentioned the word pressure. What’s the most high-pressure match you feel you’ve played?
Kerber: To be honest, this match this year in Australia, the first round, that was a match where I was feeling a lot of pressure because last year I lost in the first round. I put so much pressure on myself. I didn’t want to lose in the first round.

This is maybe from this year one of the matches where I remember my pressure was really high. After the win when I was also match point down, I was feeling like ok, the pressure was gone. I won the first round and now I can go for it. So for this year I can say this was the match.

WTA Insider: When we talk about your career, there are three matches that always come up. That Australian Open match is one. The match against Victoria Azarenka here, that you lost. The match against Lucie Safarova in Singapore, that you lost. Talk about how important it is to learn from your losses.
Kerber: This is really important to learn from your losses but also as well, learning from your wins. After every match you have to sit down and think what I did good and what I did wrong. I learned a lot from really tough and close matches that I had in the past, especially the last years when I played so many great matches against great opponents.

This year, I had confidence because I knew that I could play good matches because they’re always tough but I have to go the last step and just go for it. That gives me a lot of confidence and maybe a little bit less pressure.

WTA Insider: You’re the World No.1 now. We’ve seen in the past that players who get to No.1 get comfortable with their game and don’t want to make changes. It’s too risky. How does your game get better from here and can you motivate to take those risks?
Kerber: No, I think my motivation is really high, especially right now after this title in New York. I will still try and improve my game because I know that I can still improve my serve and improving a few things on my game. It’s what I will try and do over the next few weeks and in my pre-season for next year. There are still a few things that I know I can do better. That gives me a little bit of confidence to know that I can still play better, maybe a little bit more aggressive, moving better, because there is still a little bit percent where I can go for it.

WTA Insider: So we haven’t seen Peak Angelique Kerber yet?
Kerber: We will see. Of course I’m playing the best tennis in my career, but I’m trying to be better and better. I’m trying to motivate myself to be better in my matches and in practice. I will try to still play my best tennis in the next months.

Kerber will next play at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open and China Open during the upcoming Asian Swing. Hear more from Kerber and coach Torben Beltz in the latest WTA Insider Podcast:

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

1. Can Simona Halep turn her 2016 around with a title defense? 

It has been a rough season thus far for Romania’s Simona Halep; beginning the year ranked No.2 in the world, Halep has lost five of her last six matches – though she earned a big three-set win playing Fed Cup at home against Petra Kvitova.

“I lost a few matches at the beginning of the year and I lost my confidence a little bit,” she said after unveiling a mural of herself as the BNP Paribas Open defending champion, “but those were because I was sick and couldn’t practice. Now I’m healthy and I feel great and I’m waiting to start the tournament.”

Watch @Simona_Halep unveil her #BNPPO16 mural! ????? pic.twitter.com/YKJN8sVSCg

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 7, 2016

Halep hasn’t played her best tennis of late, but she rarely needed her A game during last year’s title run, relying on an indomitable fighting spirit to recover from a set and a break down to defea former No.1 Jelena Jankovic in the final. Practicing with coach Darren Cahill, the Romanian was joined by a pair of tennis legends in Andre Agassi and 22-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf.

“It was a great experience; they gave great advice and I really want to thank them for helping me. I need to change my thoughts to be more like big champions.”

Opening against a qualifier or Vania King – who is on the way back from a back injury that kept her off the court for most of 2015 – in the second round, the No.5 seed has a tough road back to the final, potentially facing No.10 seed Venus Williams and World No.1 Serena Williams before the semifinals. But Halep sounds in good spirits, enjoying the perks of being the defending champion.

“I went to the locker rooms and there were no more lockers left for me. But they said I have a special room where the champions are, so I went there and I felt very special. For a minute I felt very special in my mind!”

2. Can Venus cap her return to Indian Wells with a quarterfinal face-off with sister Serena?

Speaking of the Williams sisters, Serena leads the field and opens against a qualifier or Irina-Camelia Begu following a first round bye. The American is playing her first tournament since the Australian Open, where she roared into the final only to be stunned by Angelique Kerber – who is seeded second in Indian Wells.

With Kristina Mladenovic, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and reigning Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships winner Sara Errani all in her section, look for Serena to shake off the rust early in the hopes of winning her first BNP Paribas Open title since 2001.

Venus has rebounded from her slow start in Australia (where she went 0-2 in Auckland and Melbourne) with an emphatic run to the Taiwan Open title. The No.10 seed also enjoys a bye into the second round of her first appearance in Indian Wells since 2001, and could start her tournament against a qualifier or Brazil’s Teliana Pereira. The elder Williams hasn’t beaten Halep since 2013, but the American leads their overall head-to-head 3-1 – something to remember should they meet in the round of 16.

Venus and Serena thrilled the US Open crowd in their most recent encounter; a repeat in the quarterfinals could be a highlight of the fortnight.

3. Can Kerber cruise into her third final of 2016?

Angelique Kerber endured a hiccup in her first WTA match since winning the Australian Open, dropping out to Zheng Saisai at the Qatar Total Open, but the German could well be back to her best in the California desert. At the bottom of the draw, her second round match-up will be one of a pair of powerful Czechs: Denisa Allertova or Petra Cetkovska.

Seeded to face fellow Australian Open semifinalist Johanna Konta in the third round, Kerber has most of the season’s most consistent performers in her quarter, with a potential quarterfinal against Doha’s champion Carla Suárez Navarro or Sloane Stephens, the only woman to win multiple titles in 2016 with wins in Auckland and Acapulco. Also in her section is Ana Ivanovic – who could open her tournament against the winner of Camila Giorgi or Julia Goerges – and Karolina Pliskova, who struggled through the Middle East swing after leading her country to a Fed Cup win over Romania.

Kerber made back-to-back semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open in 2012 and 2013, but didn’t win a match in either of her last two appearances; still feeling the kind of confidence that took her to a maiden Grand Slam title, the veteran will be eager to buck the trend.

4. Can Agnieszka Radwanska fulfill her big title potential?

Radwanska has largely been the one to beat since last year’s US Open; the Pole has won four titles since September – including the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global – and reached the semifinals of the Australian Open.

Despite turning heads in a thrilling three-set win against Roberta Vinci in the quarterfinals of Qatar, the crafty Radwanska showed worrying signs of fatigue – be it physical or mental – in her flat semifinal loss to Suárez Navarro the next day. To make it through a two week tournament, the World No.3 will have to leave the extended highlight reel at home, especially with a potential rematch with Serena Williams looming just before the finals weekend.

When they played in Australia, Radwanska had few answers for a Serena playing at her peak, but the Pole will do herself no favors by getting in epic grindfests with Dominika Cibulkova (her potential second round opponent) or any of the seeds in her section: Monica Niculescu, 2015 finalist Jelena Jankovic, or Apia International Sydney champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. 

5. How well can the kids table tread water during adult swim?

No.7 seed Belinda Bencic is the highest ranked of three 18-year-olds in the Top 50, but any one of the young stars can cause a stir over the next two weeks. Opening against either 21-year-old Nao Hibino or 22-year-old wildcard Lauren Davis, the reigning Rogers Cup champion is in an interesting quarter anchored by fellow youngster and 2015 Wimbledon finalist Garbiñe Muguruza – who is seeded No.4 – but peppered with a mix of new and familiar faces.

Bencic is seeded to play Daria Gavrilova, who is up to a career-high ranking of No.33, and could play one of BMW Malaysian Open champion Elina Svitolina or St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy winner and oldest Top 10 debutante, Roberta Vinci.

A third round match-up of veritable veterans is also on the menu as former No.1s Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki are projected to face off following their opening rounds, with Muguruza a possible fourth round opponent. Azarenka is playing just her second tournament since her shocking Australian Open loss to Kerber, but her first since withdrawing from the Abierto Mexicano Telcel with a left wrist injury.

Daria Kasatkina is the other top ranked teen; the young Russian sits in the same section as Suárez Navarro and the same quarter as Stephens, who might end up with a blockbuster second round against former No.5 Eugenie Bouchard – should the Canadian win her first round against a qualifier. Opening against two-time champion and wildcard Daniela Hantuchova, Kasatkina hasn’t paid too much attention to where her rapid rise has left her in the rankings, and is excited to make her Indian Wells debut.

“I don’t care, really; I just go and play every match and I don’t watch the rankings. I just play. I’m getting some experience and every tournament and every match is helping me.”

One of the younger stars looking to kickstart her season is Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. The Slovak made her first Premier-level quarterfinal at last summer’s Western & Southern Open and was an alternate at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai. On hand for the draw ceremony, Schmiedlova hopes to start small and end up with something big.

“I didn’t have a really great start of the season, and I just really want to get back and play some more matches, win something to get more confidence now. I’m practicing a lot so I hope it will show up on the courts. I didn’t have big goals here; I just want to play good and show what I can do.”

The Favorites:

– Serena Williams: When she is at her best, she is unquestionably the best in any draw. The World No.1 shook off the disappointments from the end of last year to play some of her best tennis in Melbourne, and with six weeks of rest should be primed for another deep run in Indian Wells.

– Angelique Kerber: Capable of playing consistent tennis, the German will have to shift into a more aggressive mindset the farther she goes in the draw – particularly against Stephens or Suárez Navarro in the quarterfinals. Whether this is indeed a new Kerber may become apparent fairly quickly depending on her result here.

The Next Best Things:

– Agnieszka Radwanska: Radwanska hasn’t faced any early upsets in a while, and should she stay fresh heading into the later rounds, the No.3 seed could be make it into the final – but how things shake out in the Williams/Halep quarter may still determine where she finishes.

– Carla Suárez Navarro: The Spaniard impressed in the Middle East and assumed the role of the alpha to great success in Doha. Suárez Navarro has beaten Kerber on hardcourts before, and as she looks to break into the Top 5, will need to continue proving herself with big wins as she rockets up the rankings.

– Simona Halep: A confidence player, Halep may be feeling a bit more pressure after taking a look at her draw, but not being expected to defend her title may free her up, and if her time with Graf was half as inspiring as it was for Kerber last spring, the Romanian may have a fortnight to remember. 

Dark Horses:

– Belinda Bencic: The teenager has had a flying start to 2016, and despite stumbling in the Middle East, the Swiss star has shown a champion’s mettle that tends to be rewarded with big titles.

– Sloane Stephens: With two titles already under her belt, Stephens is suddenly in search of a deep run at a major tournament – something that used to be her calling card. Should she get past Bouchard, the American has all the tools to succeed on this surface.

– Victoria Azarenka: Struggles with injury keep her lower on the list than she might have otherwise been given her stellar run to the Brisbane International title, but it will be interesting to see how Azarenka recovers from that loss in Melbourne; given how things panned out, the two-time Australian Open champion might feel she let an opportunity slip by. The next few weeks will undoubtedly be a big test for the Belarusian.

First week spoilers:

– Barbora Strycova (vs. Andrea Petkovic, second round)

– CoCo Vaneweghe (vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova, second round)

– Bethanie Mattek-Sands (vs. Elina Svitolina, second round)

– Zhang Shuai (vs. Caroline Wozniacki, second round)

Click here to see the full draw.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.