The tennis icon joins a star-studded lineup on the BNP Paribas Open entry list. The event starts March 2 in Indian Wells.
A torn hamstring suffered in Melbourne in January will reportedly keep Novak Djokovic out for up to two months, but it turns out he isn’t ruling out playing at Indian Wells in March.
The BNP Paribas Open released its player entry lists Wednesday ahead of the 2025 event, which starts March 2 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Djokovic is among the names on the list, expecting to play.
Even if Djokovic doesn’t play, a star-studded lineup is expected for the first combined ATP Masters 1000/WTA 1000 event of the year.
Reigning BNP Paribas Open champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz headline the list of players vying for this year’s title. Top-ranked players Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner will top their respective draws as both hope to capture a first-career title in the desert.
Joining them will be Americans Madison Keys (World No. 7), who is coming off an Australian Open title in Melbourne. Other Americans to watch include third-ranked Coco Gauff, sixth-ranked Jessica Pegula and ninth-ranked Emma Navarro. An American woman has not won an Indian Wells singles title since Serena Williams did it in 2001.
Other top American women on the entry list include No. 12 Danielle Collins, former NCAA national champion Peyton Stearns and Amanda Anisimova.
Fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz will lead the charge of American men looking to lift the crown on home soil. Ninth-ranked Tommy Paul will look to build off a career-best Indian Wells showing last year, where he reached the semifinal. Rising star Ben Shelton (No. 13) will make his third appearance in the desert fresh off a run to the Australian Open semifinal, with Frances Tiafoe (No. 18) and Sebastian Korda (No. 22) completing the list of Top 25-ranked American ATP players.
Other big names on the entry list include German Alexander Zverev (No. 2), Norway’s Casper Ruud (No. 5), two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini (No. 4), and 2023 BNP Paribas Open champion Elena Rybakina (No. 5) round out a solid list of players set to compete at Indian Wells.
Other key names to watch out for include Daniil Medvedev (No. 7), Alex de Minaur (No. 8), Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 12), and Holger Rune (No. 14). Nick Kyrgios has also entered the field on a protected ranking as he looks to make his first appearance in the desert since the 2022, when he reached the quarterfinal.
On the WTA side, fans can also get excited for Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng (No. 8), 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova (No. 14), 17-year-old standout Mirra Andreeva (No. 15), and two-time BNP Paribas Open finalist Maria Sakkari.
Paula Badosa (No. 10) highlights a strong crew of former BNP Paribas Open winners looking to reclaim championship glory at Indian Wells. The 2021 champion Badosa will be joined by other past Indian Wells titleholders including Naomi Osaka (2018), Victoria Azarenka (2012, 2016), and Cam Norrie (2021).
Swiatek is a two-time Indian Wells champion and will look to become the first WTA player in tournament history to capture a third BNP Paribas Open singles crown. Alcaraz returns as the two-time reigning champion and will be seeking a first ATP three-peat in the desert since Djokovic (2014, 2015, 2016). The five-time BNP Paribas Open champion Djokovic is also on the entry list as he looks to recover from a hamstring injury suffered earlier this year during his run to the Australian Open semifinal.
The remaining spots in the 2025 BNP Paribas Open player field will be filled by the winners of the qualifying tournament, set to take place from March 2-4, as well as wild card recipients who will be announced closer to the start of the tournament.
Andrew John covers the BNP Paribas Open for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected].
