Indian Wells 2023: Taylor Fritz and Iga Swiatek unveil their champion's mural ahead of title defense | WATCH
Taylor Fritz and Iga Swiatek have unveiled their champion's murals ahead of the 2023 Indian Wells as the duo prepare for their title defense.
Fritz recorded his first ever title win in 2022 at the Indian Wells Masters. He beat Rafael Nadal in the summit clash to bag the trophy in front of his home crowd. It remains the American's solitary crown at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament so far. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Swiatek got the better of Maria Sakkari in the final of the tournament last year to clinch the title on the women's side.
With the 2023 edition of the tournament's main draw commencing on March 8, the organizers welcomed Fritz and Swiatek to unveil their respective murals in front of a cheerful crowd in California.
A video posted by 'The First Serve' on Twitter on Tuesday saw home boy Fritz expose his mural to fans.
Taylor Fritz returns to Indian Wells as defending champion this year. Californian 🇺🇸Taylor Fritz returns to Indian Wells as defending champion this year.
As is tradition, the revealing of his mural.
#TheFirstServe https://t.co/ysKNWe97Wa
Similarly, BNP Paribas Open's social media handle shared Swiatek's unveiling video on Twitter.
3....2....1GA 🖼
#TennisParadise | @iga_swiatek https://t.co/yx79uwys1Z
Fritz recently expressed his excitement at returning to play in front of his home fans and taking part in the Sunshine Double. The American took to social media to remark that it has always been the "best" time of the season in his opinion.
“Best time of the year,” the World No. 5 wrote on Instagram.
Swiatek also conveyed her delight at returning to "tennis paradise," emphasizing the work she has been putting out in the midst of the beautiful landscapes of California.
"Peaceful mornings, a lot of work done every single day, beautiful landscape... So, so good to be back in tennis paradise! Hi @BNPParibasOpen," Iga Swiatek wrote in her tweet.
Peaceful mornings, a lot of work done every single day, beautiful landscape... So, so good to be back in tennis paradise!
🌴Peaceful mornings, a lot of work done every single day, beautiful landscape... So, so good to be back in tennis paradise!
Hi @BNPPARIBASOPEN 🥰
🌴Spokojne poranki, mnóstwo pracy każdego dnia, przepiękne widoki...Jak dobrze znowu być w Indian Wells! 🥰 https://t.co/pV3uNQFWNv
Expectations are high for both Fritz and Swiatek, especially considering how much both players have developed since their title win in the tournament last year.
A look at Taylor Fritz and Iga Swiatek's journey to the title win at 2022 Indian Wells
Both Taylor Fritz and Iga Swiatek registered six wins on their road to the title at the 2022 Indian Wells Open. The American secured a comfortable straight-sets win against Kamil Majchrzak in the first round.
Fritz defeated Jaume Munar, Alex de Minaur and Miomir Kecmanovic in the next three rounds respectively to set up a semifinal clash against Andrey Rublev. He outclassed the Russian 7-5, 6-4 and went on to beat Nadal 6-3, 7-6(5) to claim the title.
Iga Swiatek, on the other hand, struggled in the initial rounds to get past her opponents. She beat Anhelina Kalinina, Clara Tauson and Angelique Kerber in the first three rounds respectively.
She later registered comprehensive straight-sets wins against Madison Keys and Simona Halep to claim a spot in the summit clash. The World No. 1 then defeated Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 to bag the trophy.