Every week wtatennis.com brings you 10 Things To Know about the week – who is playing, where and much more. This week the Road To Singapore heads to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California…
1) Venus Williams makes a long-awaited Indian Wells return.
Former No.1 Venus Williams will play the BNP Paribas Open for the first time since 2001; the seven-time Grand Slam champion wrote about her thoughts on coming back to Indian Wells in the Players Tribune. Venus recovered from a tough start to 2016 with a decisive title run at the Taiwan Open.
2) Could Steffi Graf be a secret weapon for defending champion Simona Halep?
Simona Halep enjoyed an impressive fortnight at last year’s event, roaring back from a set and a break down to oust former No.1 Jelena Jankovic for the biggest title of her career. The Romanian has endured a tough run thus far, struggling with an Achilles injury and early round losses at the Australian Open, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and the Qatar Total Open. Halep has since gone back to the drawing board, practicing in Las Vegas with coach Darren Cahill and getting the opportunity to hit with 22-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf and husband, former ATP No.1 Andre Agassi. Reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber credits a hit with Graf with turning her season around; might the same work for Halep?
3) Serena and Kerber lead the seeds.
Speaking of Kerber, she and fellow Australian Open finalist Serena Williams will be seeded to face one another in yet another big-time final, should the two each make it that far. Williams has not played since Melbourne, while the German lost her opening round match in Doha to Zheng Saisai as the top seed. Joining sister Venus in California, Serena made her return to Indian Wells last year, reaching the semifinals.
4) An opening for Agnieszka Radwanska?
World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska has been all but unstoppable since last fall, winning titles in Tokyo, Tianjin, and finishing the 2015 season with the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global title. Opening 2016 with another title in Shenzhen, Radwanska has performed consistently on the game’s biggest stages, reaching the semifinals in Australia and Qatar. How will the Pole perform in Indian Wells? Her best finish was back in 2014, where she defeated Jankovic and Halep to reach the final.
5) All eyes on Muguruza, Kvitova.
Big hitters Garbiñe Muguruza and Petra Kvitova have all the firepower to tear through the Indian Wells draw, but do either have the consistency and physical fortitude to survive the two week tournament? Muguruza has shown signs of improvement with a run to the quarterfinals in Doha, but Kvitova remains in search of the kick start to her season. With no points to defend in either Indian Wells or Miami, will the two-time Wimbledon champion play pressure-free tennis in the desert?
6) Crunch time for Carla Suárez Navarro.
The Spanish veteran impressed many with her week in Doha, winning her second career title and standing up to the pressure of being the overwhelming favorite against 18-year-old upstart, Jelena Ostapenko. Suárez Navarro enters a part of the season with plenty of points to defend – having reached the finals of both Miami and Rome – and will look to build on the momentum she’s carried through the first six weeks of the season in the hopes of capping another career-high ranking and entrance into the Top 5.
7) Can the Italian veterans build on Middle East momentum?
Roberta Vinci made history as the oldest woman to make her Top 10 debut a mere days after turning 33 by winning the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. A week later, Sara Errani won the biggest title of her career in Dubai. In a year of young guns, the veterans continue to rack up the titles; could either make a deep run in the desert?
8) The WTA*Teens look to steal the spotlight.
Belinda Bencic capped her stunning six months with a Top 10 debut of her own – despite falling to Vinci in the finals of St. Petersburg. The 18-year-old reversed a slow start to 2015 with a solid finish in Australia, and will look to do damage in Indian Wells. Fellow 18-year-old Daria Kasatkina reached the semifinals of St. Petersburg, and is coming off of back-to-back Grand Slam third rounds at the last two hardcourt majors. Will another youngster make waves?
9) SanTina starting over.
Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza’s 41-match winning streak came to an end at the hands of Kasatkina and Elena Vesnina in Doha, but there are few reasons to dismiss the Co-No.1s as they head into the tournament that started it all for Santina. The reigning Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open champions played for the first time at Indian Wells and went on a 14-match streak through from there to Miami and Charleston. With other teams like Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching, Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia, and Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka all playing solid tennis to start the season, the women’s doubles draw promises to be as interesting as the singles event.
10) Find out where you can watch live action this week.
