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Grand Slam champions Venus Williams, Emma Raducanu, and Caroline Wozniacki top the list of wildcard recipients for the 2024 Indian Wells Open. The Brit was among the latest awardees of it, while the other two were allotted their wildcard spot some time ago.
This will be Williams' first tournament of the season as an injury has kept her on the sidelines thus far. Wozniacki, meanwhile, continued her comeback but hasn't had much success and has a 1-3 win-loss record for the year.
Raducanu returned from an injury hiatus at the start of the year and made it to the second round of three tournaments, including the Australian Open. She lost in the first round of her most recent event, the Qatar Open.
Besides the trio, 2021 Indian Wells Open champion Paula Badosa also received a wildcard, as did Amanda Anisimova and former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova. The Czech won her first title in four years at last month's Transylvania Open and followed it up with a semifinal run at the Qatar Open.
Anisimova made her comeback after a seven-month hiatus in January and made it to the fourth round of the Australian Open. Americans Ashlyn Krueger and McCartney Kessler were also awarded wildcards.
On the men's side, former top 10 player Fabio Fognini was given a wildcard, along with Brandon Nakashima, Aleksandar Kovacevic, and Patrick Kypson. Czech teen Jakub Mensik, who recently reached his first ATP final at the Qatar Open, was also given one.
Indian Wells Open Men's Singles wildcards:
Brandon Nakashima
Fabio Fognini
Patrick Kypson
Aleksandar Kovcevic
Jakub Mensik
Indian Wells Open Women's Singles wildcards
Venus Williams
Emma Raducanu
Caroline Wozniacki
Paula Badosa
Karolina Pliskova
Amanda Anisimova
McCartney Kessler
Ashlyn Krueger
Venus Williams set to compete at the Indian Wells Open for the first time since 2019
Venus Williams is set to make her first appearance in the California desert since participating in the 2019 edition. She made it to the quarterfinals back then but lost to Angelique Kerber.
Semifinal finishes in 1998, 2001 and 2018 remain Williams' best results at the venue. She hasn't competed here that much as the seven-time Major champion boycotted the tournament after she and her sister Serena Williams were subjected to racial remarks in 2001.
The Williams sisters then stayed away from the tournament for more than a decade. The 23-time Major champion returned in 2015 and was followed by her sibling the following year.
