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Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu and other WTA stars have descended on California for the 2024 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
The WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells commences on March 6, boasting a star-studded lineup featuring the likes of World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, last year's runner-up Aryna Sabalenka, reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff and defending champion Elena Rybakina.
Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Emma Raducanu and Paula Badosa have received wildcards for the prestigious event. Wozniacki and Badosa will be joined by fellow former champions Victoria Azarenka and Naomi Osaka in contesting the title.
The WTA stars have begun arriving in California ahead of the WTA 1000 event, taking advantage of their time to explore the area before the tournament kicks off. Iga Swiatek took to social media and offered a peek into her Malibu getaway, showcasing her experience of dining at the Broad Street Oyster Company, visiting the seaside and exploring nature trails.
"Recharged," she captioned her Instagram post.
Aryna Sabalenka made an appearance at the V.I.P. opening day of the Frieze Los Angeles art fair at the Santa Monica Airport, immersing herself in the stunning artwork on display.
"Frieze LA 🖼️," she captioned her Instagram post.
Emma Raducanu also touched down in California ahead of Indian Wells, sharing glimpses of her experience in the Golden State.
"Lalala ..🙉," she posted on Instagram.
Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, Ons Jabeur and Karolina Pliskova arrived in California earlier and hit the ground running with intense training sessions to gear up for the event.
Beatriz Haddad Maia was spotted practicing at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, while Paula Badosa shared a sun-soaked selfie in her training attire, adding to the excitement building up before the tournament.
"Iga Swiatek feels the other players breathing down her neck, especially Aryna Sabalenka" - Andrea Petkovic
Iga Swiatek has maintained a stranglehold on the World No. 1 ranking for 92 of the last 100 weeks, with Aryna Sabalenka wresting it away for eight weeks last year.
Andrea Petkovic recently opined that the 22-year-old would be feeling the pressure from her challengers, with Sabalenka leading the charge, suggesting that the Pole is aware of the need to constantly evolve her game to stay ahead.
"For, Swiatek being No. 1 in the world for a while now but exchanging that place with Aryna Sabalenka, it's really great to see and fascinating to watch because she knows she feels the other players breathing down her neck, especially Aryna Sabalenka, so she knows she has to keep evolving and developing her game," Petkovic said on the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast.
Petkovic also identified an area for improvement in Swiatek's game, observing that the four-time Grand Slam champion lacks a powerful serve compared to her rivals Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina.
"The one thing that she doesn't have compared to Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina is that big serve that can get her a lot of free points," Petkovic added.
