Indian Wells 2025: 3 women's players who could be the surprise giant-killer ft. Emma Raducanu
The draw for the BNP Paribas Open 2025, or the Indian Wells Open, was revealed on Monday, March 3. The spotlight was naturally on the top guns of the game, such as World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, defending champion Iga Swiatek, and newly minted Australian Open champion Madison Keys, among others.
However, the depth of the women's field means that the contenders aren't limited to the well-known ones. Amanda Anisimova and Mirra Andreeva, both ranked outside of the top 10, won the Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships, respectively, the season's first two WTA 1000 tournaments.
The competition is quite stiff, with plenty of capable players having the potential to redline for the next fortnight. On that note, here's a look at three players who could stun the field at Indian Wells over the next two weeks:
#3. Sofia Kenin
Kenin's downfall since her breakout 2020 season, during which she won the Australian Open and was the runner-up at the French Open, has been sad to witness. She has been wildly inconsistent for the past few years, with some good results thrown in between.
However, Kenin has shown signs of promise this year. She has eight main draw wins to her name this year compared to the 13 wins she had during the 2024 season. She also reached the quarterfinals of the previous WTA 1000 in Dubai, where she lost to Elena Rybakina.
Kenin won only three matches at the WTA 1000 level last year and already has five wins under her belt this year. She has received a favorable draw at Indian Wells, with her first-round opponent being Sloane Stephens, who's on a 10-match losing streak.
Kenin will face 12th seed Daria Kasatkina in the second round. While the latter was the runner-up at Indian Wells in 2018, she has tallied five more wins at the venue since then. She has also underperformed at the WTA 1000 level over the past two seasons.
24th seed Liudmila Samsonova's 3-4 record at Indian Wells offers Kenin another shot at an upset. Sixth seed Jasmine Paolini is returning from an injury, which tips the scales in the American's favor once again if they meet in the fourth round. She will be the underdog against top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals, whom she has beaten in the past and could do so once again. However, even if she loses, taking down three seeded players to get that far would be impressive.
#2. Alycia Parks
After a disappointing 2024, Parks seems to be finding her groove this year. After scoring only four main draw wins last year, she has already claimed five wins this season. She started the season with a semifinal at the ASB Classic and reached the second round of the previous two WTA 1000 tournaments in the Middle East, that too as a qualifier.
Lady Luck has also favored Parks, serving her up with two players in the middle of a slump. She will face Anna Kalinskaya in the first round; she has not crossed the opening hurdle in four of her five tournaments this year.
Parks will take on Diana Shnaider in the second round. who has a 6-6 record this year and lost to the American at the Qatar Open. Anisimova, who won the title in Doha, could wait for her in the third round.
Parks did beat Anisimova in the first round of the ASB Classic at the start of the year, so she will fancy her chances of another upset win. If she wins this match, then she will advance to the fourth round of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time. Anything from here on out would be a bonus for her and a stepping stone for further success down the line.
#1. Emma Raducanu
Raducanu started the year by reaching the third round of the Australian Open for the first time and went down to Iga Swiatek. The next few weeks were tough for her as she crashed out in the first round of her next three tournaments. She snapped her losing skid with a win over Maria Sakkari in Dubai.
However, Raducanu's joy was short-lived. She had to deal with a stalker in the middle of her second-round match against Karolina Muchova. While she bravely overcame a panic attack, she ended up losing the match. She will be keen to put that episode in the rearview mirror with a memorable run at Indian Wells.
Raducanu will take on Moyuka Uchijima in her opener here and will be favored to beat her. Under normal circumstances, she would have been the underdog against World No. 3 Coco Gauff. However, the latter is currently on a three-match losing streak, so the Brit could pull off an upset if her opponent's slump continues.
Raducanu could meet Sakkari in the third round. While she did beat her a couple of weeks ago, the latter usually plays her best in California, and she was the runner-up here in 2022 and 2024. If she gets the better of the Greek once again, then she would equal her best result at the WTA 1000 level by reaching the fourth round.
Her only prior fourth-round appearance also came at Indian Wells in 2023. She would have to fight the likes of Anisimova or Parks for a spot in the last eight, with either Emma Navarro or Madison Keys waiting for her in the quarterfinals. It would be difficult for her to beat either of them, but not impossible, and the quality of opposition would only get tougher after that.