On the women’s side, Indian Wells can be seen as a tale of two groups of top women. Those that are in form, and those that are not.

Let’s look at the women that are playing great.

Ash Barty (1)

By and large, Ash Barty is the best women’s player in the world right now. She’s the defending Australian Open champion, undisputed number one, and a force to be reckoned with. She’s got style, athleticism, and talent that will be hard to match.

Paula Badosa (4)

Although it has not been the perfect start to the season for Badosa, let’s not forget that Badosa captured Indian Wells just a few months ago. From there, she made the semifinals of the WTA Finals and won the Sydney Tennis Classic. Her last two tournaments have not had a strong showing. However, look for her to correct her course and make some noise at Indian Wells.

Garbine Muguruza (9)

Like Badosa, Muguruza was on fire during the last few months of 2021. She captured the WTA Finals and won in Chicago. Although she went down to an inspired Alize Cornet in the second round of the Australian Open, Muguruza is playing well. She will go deep at this tournament.

Annett Kontaveit (7)

Nobody on this entry list has had more deep runs in every single tournament they have entered than Kontaveit. She seems to either win or reach the final in every tournament she enters. She’s learned how to go deep. Expect more of the same from Kontaveit

Let’s look at who’s struggling.

Aryna Sabalenka (2)

Sabalenka has been having technical issues on the court as of late, especially on her serve. She’s been doing her best to stay the course and compete though, and that’s commendable. However, her technical issues have not helped her in the last few months. She’s been an early-round loser consistently. I don’t see that trend reversing. Look for Sabalenka to lose early on.

Karolina Pliskova (5)

Pliskova has been sidelined with an injury since the WTA Finals. She had been playing well before her mediocre showing at the WTA Finals. Because she hasn’t had much match play, I don’t expect much from Pliskova at Indian Wells. Look for her to exit in the early rounds.

Borbora Krejcikova (3)

Although sitting high in the rankings, Krejcikova is looking anything but like a top-ranked player for the last few months. She has not won anything important since her run at Roland Garros in 2021. She’s a good player, don’t get me wrong. She’s just not the kind of player that will be making the later rounds at Indian Wells this year.

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