Feature
Five storylines to watch out for at Indian Wells 2026
Tennis is returning to the Californian desert as we gear up for the first combined WTA and ATP 1000 tournament of the 2026 season at Indian Wells.
Ahead of the tournament, we preview five storylines you should look out for at this year’s Indian Wells.
Draper prepares to defend men’s singles crown
Jack Draper is just kick-starting his comeback after missing five months of tennis due to an arm injury, but now is gearing up to defend his title at one of the biggest stages in the sport.
It’s been a year since Draper’s sensational run to the title at Indian Wells - marking his first ATP Masters 1000 title and breakthrough into the world’s top 10. The 23-year-old took down the likes of Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune on his way to lifting the title last year.
Defending a title is always a tough task, but doing so after a period of time away from the game will pose a whole new challenge for Draper.
The British No.1 only made his return to competitive play at the beginning of February during Great Britain’s Davis Cup Qualifier against Norway and returned to ATP Tour action this week at the Dubai Duty Free Championships. There, he beat Quentin Halys in the first round before falling short against Arthur Rinderknech in a three-set battle.
With 1000 ATP ranking points to defend over the upcoming fortnight, the pressure will be mounting on the Brit, but for Draper, the tournament may be less about repeating last year’s run and more about assessing how close he is to rediscovering the form that made him a Masters 1000 champion a year ago.
British trio set to feature in WTA main draw
This year’s women’s draw boasts plenty of British interest with three women guaranteed to feature in the singles main draw in California.
Leading the charge is British No.1 Emma Raducanu who has made an encouraging start to the season, reaching her first WTA final since her 2021 US Open triumph at the Transylvania Open. Now ranked No.25 in the world, Raducanu will be aiming to kick-start the Sunshine Double with a deep run in the desert.
Sonay Kartal will return to Indian Wells with plenty of fond memories, following her fourth round run last March. The British No.2 was awarded a spot in the main draw as a lucky loser in 2025 and went on to beat the likes of Varvara Lepchenko, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Polina Kudermetova before being denied a spot in the quarter-final by world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. That breakthrough proved to be a springboard for Kartal, who went on to enjoy a stellar few months, highlighted by a fourth round appearance at Wimbledon and a quarter-final run at the China Open.
Finally, Francesca Jones completes the trio of British women confirmed for main draw action at the WTA 1000 event. The tournament at Indian Wells will provide another opportunity for Jones to test herself against the world’s best as she continues her steady climb up the WTA rankings.
Katie Boulter will be hoping to join her compatriots as she prepares to compete in qualifying. The 29-year-old will enter full of confidence off the back of capturing her fourth career WTA title at the Ostrava Open and reaching the quarter-finals at the Meridia Open in February.
Will Carlos Alcaraz continue his unbeaten streak in 2026?
World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz lit up his 2026 season by making history by becoming the youngest player to complete the Career Grand Slam in the Open Era when he lifted the Australian Open title last month. It was an achievement that saw him join an elite group of only six men - including Rod Laver, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi.
Since that historic moment, Alcaraz has shown no signs of slowing down. He backed up his Melbourne victory by lifting the Qatar Open title to extend his unbeaten start to the season to 12-0. The Spaniard could be set to improve on that win record as he prepares to return to a court where he is a two-time champion.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion captured the Indian Wells title in 2023 and 2024 but was denied a spot in last year’s by eventual champion Draper.
With the world No.1 riding a wave of confidence and momentum firmly on his side, he’ll be gunning to chase another statement run at Indian Wells - but can anyone halt his charge or will his perfect start to the season continue?
Who can stop in-form doubles duo Henry Patten & Harri Heliovaara?
Britain’s Henry Patten and Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara have been the in-form doubles duo over the last four months. The two-time Grand Slam winning duo wrapped up their 2025 season by winning the Rolex Paris Masters and Nitto ATP Finals and have carried that momentum into the new season where they’ve asserted themselves as the team to beat.
The British, Finnish duo have already claimed the silverware in Adelaide and Qatar this year and will look to make it a hat-trick of titles when they contest the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final this weekend.
Along the way, they’ve had to overcome some of the world’s best partnerships, including fellow Brits Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, who are still chasing a first trophy of the year.
The ATP 1000 tournament at Indian Wells now presents another chance for Patten and Heliovaara to extend their winning streak - but with the likes of Cash and Glasspool, reigning Australian Open champions Neal Skupski and Christian Harrison, and several other top international teams all in contention, the question remains: who can halt Patten and Heliovaara’s momentum?
Former champions set to take on in-form talent in women’s draw
Three different WTA stars have been crowned champion over the last three editions of the tournament. 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva edged out Sabalenka in last year’s final to complete back-to-back WTA 1000 crowns following Dubai triumph, while reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek added her name to the roll of honour in 2024 and Elena Rybakina emerged victorious in 2023.
With such depth and emerging talent across the WTA Tour, it’s safe to say the women’s singles title feels wide open.
Amongst the strongest contenders are newly-crowned Australian Open champion Rybakina, world No.5 Jessica Pegula - who will arrive fresh from her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships victory - Qatar Open champion Karolina Muchova and world No.1 Sabalenka, who will be desperate to wrap her hands around her first Indian Wells trophy.
That said, there are plenty of other players in strong form which could lead us to another unpredictable champion in the desert. Rising talent such as Victoria Mboko and Iva Jovic will be eager to leave their mark on the big stage, while Dubai runner-up Elina Svitolina, Abu Dhabi champion Sara Bejlek and home favourites Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova also enter in fine form.