By Lorenzo Gagliotta
With tennis’ Sunshine Swing in full force at the Merida Open and Austin Open, Indian Wells Tennis Garden is the next stop of a month-long stretch from coast to coast in the United States.
Let’s take a look at what to expect, the main talking points, and the players to watch at the 2026 Indian Wells Open.
When is the Indian Wells Open?
The Indian Wells Open will host tennis action from 4 to 15 March on both the men’s and women’s tours.
It will be the 52nd edition for the men and the 37th for the women, with California getting itself involved in the Sunshine Swing.
Indian Wells is scheduled such that most top-tier stars are set to make an appearance, from reigning champion Mirra Andreeva to Australian Open winner and two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz.
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What are the biggest talking points?
Ahead of the Open, all eyes will be on tennis’ main man, Carlos Alcaraz, who has not put a foot wrong so far in the 2026 season.
Having claimed a historic career Grand Slam in Melbourne and an emphatic victory in Doha, the world number one heads to California looking to secure his third Indian Wells success.
His opponent in the Australian Open final, Novak Djokovic, is known as the ‘King of Indian Wells’, though, and hopes to make his mark as he chases a sixth title in Tennis Paradise.
California-born Taylor Fritz looks to impress on home turf following a narrow loss at the Dallas Open to compatriot Ben Shelton and an early exit at Delray Beach against close friend Tommy Paul.
Delray Beach’s very own Coco Gauff eyes her first Indian Wells title, looking to go one step further after a semi-final appearance back in 2024.
World number two Iga Swiatek sets her sights on Indian Wells history, aiming to become the first woman to win the tournament three times.
Whether risk will come out as reward for the Pole, only time will tell, but the second ranking is up for grabs should counterparts Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina excel in California.
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Who are the players to watch?
All eyes will be on the American contingent, with Fritz and Gauff set to receive the fullest of support in California.
The pair are thus a great outside bet for the crown.
Looking to retain his title, Briton Jack Draper hopes to recreate the joys of what happened last time out in Tennis Paradise.
Coming back to the ATP Tour after a long bout of injury, the current world number 15 heads into Indian Wells following a loss in Dubai to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the round of 32.
That only increases the pressure on Draper to set that defeat aside and come out in full force as he seeks to double up on his first ATP 1000 title.
The bookies consider Draper a tall order at +1600 to win in California.
On the women’s side, a Canadian looks to cause some trouble.
Victoria Mboko heads to California having recently broken into the world top 10 on the back of making two finals so far in 2026.
A powerful yet versatile player, in both attack and defence, Mboko has kickstarted her season with a free-flowing and big-hitting brand of tennis.
She’s set to challenge the likes of Andreeva, Elena Rybakina, and world number one Aryna Sabalenka for a shot at success at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Similar to Fritz, the world number 10 is a good outside bet for success at Tennis Paradise.
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What happened at last year’s tournament?
Last time out in the Californian desert, Draper and Andreeva navigated through difficult draws to come out as victors.
The hardcourts saw three-time Indian Wells champion Rafael Nadal withdraw mid-tournament due to a lingering injury from previous games.
Dane Holger Rune found himself in good form, defeating close rival Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.
Top-ranked Sabalenka, meanwhile, fell short to Andreeva, who went on a remarkable run.
Rain delays across the tournament caught players off guard, causing numerous shifts in schedule.
Key seeds dropped out as the tournament went on, with Draper causing an upset against Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu’s return facing a bitter end in a loss to Moyika Uchijma, and Djokovic facing an early exit to lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp.
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