The 2026 Indian Wells Open begins on Wednesday, and a lot of players have already withdrawn from the event. The positive part is that only one is a top-10-ranked player on either the ATP or WTA. In other words, Jannik Sinner might still play Carlos Alcaraz in the men's final.
That also means we could have Aryna Sabalenka versus Inga Swiatek in the women's final. The best part about the WTA, however, is that while the tour is full of great players, there is also more depth of high-end quality. The tournaments are not going to be won by either Sabalenka or Swiatek, as the men's side would be, most likely, by Sinner or Alcaraz.
That makes the women's game a more interesting watch in a way. Unless one is fully invested in one or two players and just wants to see some highly entertaining tennis, the WTA side is endlessly watchable. That won't change at Indian Wells, despite the withdrawal of two Grand Slam champions, Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejčíková.
All the withdrawals from the 2026 Indian Wells Open
WTA seeds:
- 1. Aryna Sabalenka
- 2. Iga Swiatek
- 3. Elena Rybakina
- 4. Coco Gauff
- 5. Jessica Pegula
- 6. Amanda Anisimova
- 7. Jasmine Paolini
- 8. Mirra Andreeva
- 9. Elina Svitolina
- 10. Victoria Mboko
The young players on the list above (Gauff, Anisimova, Andreeva, and Mboko) are going to keep the sport vibrant for many years to come. The WTA is in good shape.
ATP seeds:
- 1. Carlos Alcaraz
- 2. Jannik Sinner
- 3. Novak Djokovic
- 4. Alexander Zverev
- 5. Lorenzo Musetti
- 6. Alex de Minaur
- 7. Taylor Fritz
- 8. Ben Shelton
- 9. Felix Auger-Aliassime
- 10. Alexander Bublik
The Americans will have some hope in California. Fritz won the event in 2022. Eventually, hopefully, Shelton will begin consistently competing for key events, such as Indian Wells.
WTA withdrawals:
- Lois Boisson (No. 37)
- Elisabetta Cocciaretto (No. 42)
- Marketa Vondrousova (No. 46)
- Barbora Krejcikova (No. 53)
- Veronika Kudermetova (No. 56)
- Daria Kasatkina (No. 60)
- Wang Yafan (No. 355)
ATP withdrawals:
- Holger Rune (No. 18)
- Tallon Griekspoor (No. 25)
- Jaume Munar (No. 36)
- Tomas Machac (No. 50)
- Lorenzo Sonego (No. 61)
- Eliot Spizzirri (No. 78)
- Alexandre Muller (No. 81)
- Filip Misolic (No. 84)
- Pedro Martinez (No. 106)
- Shang Juncheng (No. 261)