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The 2022 Indian Wells Open is one of the year's biggest tournaments and will feature almost all the top WTA players.
World No. 2 Barbora Krejcikova is the top seed in Ashleigh Barty's absence, with Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Anett Kontaveit rounding out the top four seeds.
Defending champion Paula Badosa is seeded fifth while former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova returns to action after an injury layoff. Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza and Victoria Azarenka are also in the fray.
With main draw action set to begin on Wednesday, here is a look at the prospects of the top players.
First Quarter: Barbora Krejcikova and Simona Halep look to rebound after disappointment in Qatar
Top seeded players: (1) Barbora Krejcikova, (7) Karolina Pliskova, (11) Emma Raducanu and (16) Coco Gauff.
Expected quarterfinal: Barbora Krejcikova vs Karolina Pliskova.
Dark horse: Dayana Yastremska.
Top seed Barbora Krejcikova started the year on a strong note, reaching the final in Sydney and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She also won the doubles title Down Under, marking her fourth Grand Slam title in the discipline. The Czech, however, made early exits during the Middle East swing and will aim to turn the tide in Indian Wells.
Following a first-round bye, Krejcikova is likely to face Rebecca Peterson in the second round and potentially Sorana Cirstea in the third round.
After a string of early exits, Coco Gauff found form in Qatar, reaching the quarterfinals in singles and winning the doubles title. Simona Halep, meanwhile, was stunned in the first round in Qatar after posting some solid results at the start of 2022.
The two could meet in the third round, with the winner taking on Krejcikova in the fourth round.
Seventh seed Karolina Pliskova returns to action after being sidelined by an injury since the start of the year. She finds herself in one of the most open sections of the draw.
The former World No. 1 is likely to start against Jil Teichmann, a tricky opponent to play early on. If she wins, she'll likely meet either Liudmila Samsonova or Madison Brengle in the third round.
2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu is also in this section. The teenager retired from her most recent match in Guadalajara. Since winning in New York, her results haven't been up to the mark.
Raducanu has received a bye into the second round, where she'll square off against either Dayana Yastremska or Caroline Garcia.
Ukrainian Yastremska looks extremely motivated given what's happening in her country. She has done well in her last two tournaments and could upset Raducanu.
If she manages to beat the Brit, Yastremska will likely face Petra Martic or Tamara Zidansek in the third round. This could be followed by a fourth-round encounter against Pliskova.
Quarterfinal prediction: Simona Halep def. Dayana Yastremska.
Second Quarter: Iga Swiatek the woman to beat in Indian Wells
Top seeded players: (3) Iga Swiatek, (8) Garbine Muguruza, (12) Elina Svitolina and (15) Angelique Kerber.
Expected quarterfinal: Iga Swiatek vs Garbine Muguruza.
Dark horse: Alize Cornet.
Iga Swiatek won the season's first WTA 1000 event in Qatar and is the heavy favorite to triumph in Indian Wells as well. She has a relatively simple path to the fourth round.
Swiatek will start against either Clara Burel or Anhelina Kalinina in the second round, potentially followed by a clash with Clara Tauson in the third round. She could face Angelique Kerber or Daria Kasatkina in the fourth round.
After failing to win consecutive matches this year, Garbine Muguruza made some progress by reaching the quarterfinals in Qatar. She'll commence her Indian Wells campaign against a tricky opponent in Alison Riske in the second round.
If she wins, Muguruza will likely take on Madison Keys in the third round. The American won the title in Adelaide and made the semifinals of the Australian Open. However, Keys made first-round exits from Guadalajara and Monterrey in her next two tournaments.
Elina Svitolina and Belinda Bencic are among the other seeded players in this section. They'll start against 2022 Australian Open quarterfinalists Alize Cornet and Kaia Kanepi respectively, so there's a possibility of an upset.
Svitolina has had decent results in Indian Wells previously and played quite well in Monterrey last week, where she made the quarterfinals. The former World No. 3 should make it to the fourth round, where she'll probably take on either Muguruza or Keys.
Quarterfinal prediction: Iga Swiatek def. Elina Svitolina.
Third Quarter: Naomi Osaka handed a tough draw on Indian Wells return
Top seeded players: (4) Anett Kontaveit, (5) Paula Badosa, (10) Jelena Ostapenko and (14) Jessica Pegula.
Expected quarterfinal: Anett Kontaveit vs Paula Badosa.
Dark horse: Amanda Anisimova.
The in-form Anett Kontaveit will take on either Elena Gabriela-Ruse or Kristina Kucova in the second round. 2019 Roland Garros finalist Marketa Vondrousova potentially awaits her in the third round.
Naomi Osaka, playing in Indian Wells for the first time since 2019, starts against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. Stephens won her first title in four years in Guadalajara while Osaka heads into the tournament after an unsuccessful title defense at the Australian Open.
The winner will take on Veronika Kudermetova in the second round and possibly Jessica Pegula in the third, followed by a potential fourth-round showdown with Kontaveit.
Meanwhile, Paula Badosa's road to a successful title defense is a tough one. She's also lost some momentum after a strong start to the season, bowing out early from the Middle East tournaments.
Badosa will likely start her campaign against Tereza Martincova in the second round. Compatriot Sara Sorribes Tormo could lie in wait in the third round.
Amana Anismova, who won the Gippsland Trophy and reached the Australian Open quarterfinals this year, is also in this section. She'll take on Emma Navarro in the first round and is likely to meet Leylah Fernandez, who recently won the title in Monterrey, in the second round. The winner will likely take on the in-form Jelena Osatepenko in the third round.
The 2017 Roland Garros champion will be favored to win against either Fernandez or Anisimova, and could face Badosa for a quarterfinal spot.
Quarterfinal prediction: Anett Kontaveit def. Jelena Ostapenko.
Fouth Quarter: Maria Sakkari faces competition from Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka
Top seeded players: (2) Aryna Sabalenka, (6) Maria Sakkari, (9) Ons Jabuer and (13) Victoria Azarenka.
Expected quarterfinal: Aryna Sabalenka vs Maria Sakkari.
Dark horse: Camila Osorio.
Aryna Sabalenka has endured a topsy-turvy 2022 season so far. She made early exits from her first two tournaments of the year before making it to the fourth round of the Australian Open. A second-round loss in Dubai was followed by a quarterfinal showing in Qatar.
Sabalenka has a favorable draw, starting against Jasmine Paolini or a qualifier in the second round. She'll likely take on either Viktorija Golubic or Yulia Putintseva in the third round. Either former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka or Elena Rybakina could be her fourth-round opponent.
Maria Sakkari has been quite consistent this year, but has faltered during the business end of tournaments. She'll start her 2022 Indian Wells campaign against either Katerina Siniakova or Irina-Camelia Begu in the second round. This could be followed by a third-round encounter against Petra Kvitova.
Kvitova will have to get past either Camila Osorio, a finalist in Monterrey, or Aliaksandra Sasnovich. The two-time Wimbledon champion hasn't been at her best this year, so there's a chance that she could lose early.
Sakkari's fourth-round opponents could be either Ons Jabeur or Elise Mertens. Jabeur injured herself at the start of the year in Sydney and didn't compete for a while. Upon her return, the Tunisian reached the quarterfinals in Dubai and Qatar. Jabeur was a semifinalist in Indian Wells last year and could pose a stiff challenge to Sakkari.
Quarterfinal prediction: Maria Sakkari def. Aryna Sabalenka.
Prediction for semifinals:
Iga Swiatek def. Simona Halep.
Anett Kontaveit def. Maria Sakkari.
Prediction for the final:
Iga Swiatek def. Anett Kontaveit.
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