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With the Australian summer in the books, Serena Williams is firmly in control of the tour, having won her 23rd Grand Slam title to surpass Stefanie Graf. Looming on the schedule is the Middle East swing, featuring tournaments in Doha and Dubai; can former No.1 Angelique Kerber reassert herself as the one to beat? How will Australian Open semifinalist CoCo Vandeweghe follow up her big week Down Under?

In the first edition of the WTA Insider Heat Index, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen and Web Editor David Kane weigh in on who’s hot and who’s not after the first month of the season.

For more on the Heat Index and the methodology behind it, click here.

Courtney’s Picks:

1. Serena Williams (Rank: No.1; RTS No.1): Serena’s run to her record-breaking 23rd major title at the Australian Open was one of the most dominant runs of tennis in the last three years. If she continues to stay healthy and play with the relaxed attitude she displayed in Melbourne, the field is going to have a tough time against her.

2. Johanna Konta (Rank: No.10; RTS No.3): With wins already over Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Daria Kasatkina, and an in-form Eugenie Bouchard, Konta has flown out of the gates in 2017. The British No.1 has already compiled a 12-2 record on the season, won the Apia International Sydney, and has won 20 of her last 22 sets of tennis. Those two lost sets came at the hands of Serena in the Australian Open quarterfinals.

3. Karolina Pliskova (Rank: No.3; RTS No.4): Much like Konta, Pliskova’s start has been near-perfect. She’s lost just one match under new coach David Kotyza, compiling a 9-1 record to start the year. She blew away the field to win the Brisbane International without losing a set and came within a few games of booking her spot in yet another major semifinal at the Australian Open. Pliskova may fall away when the tour turns to clay in April, but these first few months on hardcourts should be right in her wheelhouse.

4. Garbiñe Muguruza (Rank: No.7; RTS No.7): She was blasted off the court by a red hot CoCo Vandeweghe at the Australian Open, but Muguruza’s January showed marked improvements over how she finished 2016. At the season’s biggest events so far she made the semifinals of Brisbane and the quarterfinals in Melbourne, the first time she made it past the fourth round of a Slam since winning the French Open. With a Top 10 win under her belt against Svetlana Kuznetsova and a 7-2 overall record, Muguruza is back on track.

5. Agnieszka Radwanska (Rank: No.6; RTS No.17): Radwanska’s lackluster 6-3 record, with losses to Alison Riske (Shenzhen Open SF), Johanna Konta (Sydney Final), and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Australian Open 2R) belie her form. After a racquet switch during the off-season she’s getting more pace on the ball without sacrificing her feel and all three losses came to precisely the type of players she’s most vulnerable against: big, flat hitters. But she’s still made the quarterfinals or better at seven of her last eight events.

6. Angelique Kerber (Rank: No.2; RTS No.22): It’s been a slow 4-3 start for the former No.1, but her losses have not been bad ones, losing to Svitolina, Kasatkina, and Vandeweghe. She’s not far from her standard level and a good run in the Middle East should put her back on track. One shot to keep an eye on her: her serve. It hasn’t been there for her so far this year.

7. CoCo Vandeweghe (Rank: No.20; RTS No.5): The American is the lowest-ranked player on this week’s list but her blistering run to her first major semifinal in Melbourne was undeniable, scoring wins over Roberta Vinci, Bouchard, Kerber, and Muguruza. Vandeweghe’s average rank of opponent in 2017 is 35, which is the best of any player on this list (the next best is Konta at 52, Serena at 53). We have to see whether Vandeweghe can back up the result – she lost to then No.103 Duan Ying-Ying a week before Melbourne – but she’s the hot hand on tour.

8. Elina Svitolina (Rank: No. 13; RTS No.8): The Ukrainian is knocking on the door of her Top 10 debut, having started her year with a win over Kerber and then winning her fifth title of the season last week at the Taiwan Open. Svitolina is 10-2 on the season, though her win over Kerber is her only win over a Top 30 player so far this season.

9. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rank: No.8; RTS No.10): Her 7-4 start to the year includes two quarterfinals in Brisbane and St. Petersburg and a Round of 16 appearance at the Australian Open. She also finished 2016 having made the semifinals or better at four of her last five tournaments. Always one to march to the beat of her own drummer, it seems Kuznetsova has rediscovered her consistency.

10. Venus Williams (Rank No.11; RTS No.2): Given her inspired run to the Australian Open final, it may be surprising to see Venus down at No.10. Feel-good story aside, she did not beat a Top 25 player to make the final and faced only one seeded player (Pavlyuchenkova), so it’s difficult to gauge whether her form was lightning in a bottle or sustainable. She was understandably out of gas by the time she arrived in St. Petersburg, losing quickly to Kristina Mladenovic. We’ll have a better sense of her form when she returns at the BNP Paribas Open in March.

11. Dominika Cibulkova (Rank No.5; RTS No.14): Her four losses have all come to players ranked outside the Top 30 (Alizé Cornet, Bouchard, Ekaterina Makarova, and Yulia Putintseva) and her only Top 20 win has come against Elena Vesnina. Cibulkova is still stuck in second gear to start the season, but she’s not far off from a solid level.

12. Barbora Strycova (Rank No.17; RTS No.12): The Czech is one of the most dangerous floaters in most tournament draws these days. She’s 8-3 to start the season, with two of those losses coming to Serena (Australian Open) and Radwanska (Sydney). Meanwhile she’s racked up good wins over quality opposition, including Vinci, Caroline Wozniacki, Andrea Petkovic, and Caroline Garcia.

David’s Picks:

1. Serena Williams (Rank: No.1; RTS: No.1): The American stormed into the history books in emphatic style, winning the Australian Open without dropping a set and reclaiming the No.1 ranking. Even at 35, Serena is in a class of her own, and her newfound on-court serenity should make her all the more frightening through the spring.

2. Karolina Pliskova (Rank: No.3; RTS: No.4): Pliskova made a booming start in Brisbane, and put to rest any doubts about her Grand Slam consistency by reaching another second week in Melbourne. A former finalist in Dubai, the Czech powerhouse has been on the ascendency since last summer, and has all the weapons to continue doing damage in either the Qatar Total Open, or the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships – or both.

3. Johanna Konta (Rank: No.10; RTS: No.3): There’s been no sophomore slump thus far for Konta, who is quickly making a career of efficiently beating those ranked below her. Her domination of Radwanska in the Sydney final was encouraging, but the Brit will need to rack up more of those wins to rise further up the rankings. A solid force on hardcourts, she’s nonetheless untested in the Middle East – set to make her debut in Dubai after opting out of Doha to play Fed Cup.

4. Garbiñe Muguruza (Rank: No.7; RTS: No.7): Muguruza showed us a little bit of everything in Australia: her devastating power, her flair for the dramatic, and her open admission that the she’s still figuring it all out since winning her maiden major title at the French Open. The Spaniard has grown leaps and bounds since her post-Paris slump to start 2017, and has few points to defend at events that have the kind of courts on which she can comfortably dictate.

5. Angelique Kerber (Rank: No.2; RTS: No.22): It hasn’t been all roses for the former No.1 in 2017, who saw herself stunned by an inspired Vandeweghe in Melbourne. Kerber looks fitter than ever, but is still adjusting to her role as the one to beat if losses to Elina Svitolina and Kasatkina are any indication. Strong runs in Doha and Dubai could see her return to the top spot, but look for the Middle East as an opportunity for the German to get back to basics with Indian Wells and Miami on the horizon.

6. CoCo Vandeweghe (Rank: No.20; RTS: No.5): Recency bias aside, Vandeweghe’s excellent advanture Down Under was objectively the biggest revelation thus far this season. Barreling through Kerber and Muguruza in back-to-back, high-stakes matches takes some doing, and it will be interesting to see whether the American, who posted solid results in the Middle East last year, can keep up that intensity in Doha and Dubai.

7. Dominika Cibulkova (Rank: No.5; RTS: No.14): The reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion has had an understandably slower start after her breakneck finish to 2016, but will have plenty of opportunity to kickstart her season in the Middle East after a solid week in St. Petersburg. With little to defend between now and the clay court season, the Slovak can easily find herself in the Top 3 by Miami.

8. Agnieszka Radwanska (Rank: No.6; RTS: No.17): Radwanska began 2017 looking for answers, switching racquets with the hope of adding a more powerful dimension to her off-court game. Ironic, then, that her three losses to start the season came against big-hitters in Shenzhen, Sydney, and Melbourne. A semifinalist last year in Doha, the Pole is certainly capable of building up a consistent foundation in the Middle East, but this more long term strategy may see more short term losses before the tour turns moves stateside.

9. Venus Williams (Rank: No.11; RTS: No.2): Venus undoubtedly turned back the clock in Melbourne. It wasn’t against the strongest field, but the former No.1 fed off her superior fitness and experience to roar into her first major final in seven years. Her performance in St. Petersburg immediately after showed her lacking in the former, and sitting out Doha and Dubai is likely a wise decision as she readies for what could be a grueling March. With the clay swing just around the corner, she’ll have fewer chances to advance up the rankings before Wimbledon.

10. Elina Svitolina (Rank: No.13; RTS: No.8): Svitolina is one of the next generation’s most enigmatic players. The Ukrainian can string together title runs at WTA Internationals, earn big wins at Premiers, but can rarely combine the two for a truly noteworthy week. Fresh off a title in Taiwan, she could solve the mystery in Doha and Dubai, having made the semifinals last year at the latter.

11. Barbora Strycova (Rank: No.17; RTS: No.12): Strycova has stealthily earned the most consistent results of the season, and is on the road to becoming a fixture at the business end of big tournaments. Last year’s Dubai runner-up earned two Top 20 wins en route to the semifinals in Sydney, and pushed Serena to two tough sets in Melbourne; can she take that extra step in the Middle East?

12. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rank: No.8; RTS: No.10): Kuznetsova could have found herself higher on the list were it not for kryptonite Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who knocked her out of back-to-back events in Australia. Still looking confident after her nearly flawless end to 2016, the Russian took a precautionary withdrawal from Doha and could be poised for a big run in Dubai, where she thrice reached the final.

Summary:

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?

DOHA, Qatar: Former World No.1 Angelique Kerber is aiming to get back to winning ways in Doha – and she is not letting herself get distracted by thoughts of reclaiming the top spot.

“For me it’s really important to play good tennis and to try to improve my game – that is actually my goal always,” she said before the beginning of her tournament.

“I will do my best in the next few weeks, few months. If you play good tennis, then you have results. This is actually for me the most important thing, to win matches again, getting the confidence back. Then we will see what happens in the next few months.”

The 29-year-old revealed that she had enjoyed her short break from tennis after her early departure from Melbourne.

“After Australia I went back home and I spent few days at home, doing nothing actually, just being at home,” she admitted.

“It was very cold. But then I started practising again. I came here to Doha little bit earlier to get ready and to get used to the courts and the weather conditions. I’m feeling ready to play again because it’s, since Australia, a long time since I played matches. It’s great to play again here and then in Dubai next week.”

And she now feels fully prepared to fight for trophies again.

“I think it was not bad to get a bigger rest, to get ready for these two tournaments,” she added.

“I’m feeling good. The first rounds are always a little bit tougher because you have to get used to the tournament feeling again, to the match things. But I think that I’m ready. I am really enjoying my tennis right now on the practice court.”

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.