Iga Swiatek: Will world No. 1 become first repeat WTA winner at Indian Wells since Martina Navratilova in 1991?

Indian Wells is often regarded as the biggest tournament of the tennis season outside the Grand Slams and season-ending finals – so why has it been so unpredictable in recent years? On the men’s side there have been five different champions in the last five editions, including Taylor Fritz in 2022 and Cameron Norrie in 2021, and on the women’s side there has not been a repeat winner since Martina Navratilova won back-to-back titles in 1990 and 1991. Ad That’s the longest streak without a repeat champion at a WTA 1000.

WTA Indian WellsExclusive: Swiatek has ‘target on her back’ and is ‘still player to beat’ says Evert13 HOURS AGO The other WTA 1000 events haven’t had repeat winners since: Qatar Open: Iga Swiatek — 2022 and 2023 Dubai Open: Elina Svitolina — 2017 and 2018 Miami Open: Ashleigh Barty — 2020 and 2021 Madrid Open: Simona Halep — 2016 and 2017 Italian Open: Iga Swiatek — 2021 and 2022 Canadian Open: Martina Hingis — 1999 and 2000 Cincinnati Open: Serena Williams — 2014 and 2015 Wuhan Open: Aryna Sabalenka — 2018 and 2019 Beijing Open: No repeat winner since first staging in 2004 Not only has there not been a repeat champion at Indian Wells for 30 years, but you have to go back to 2009 for the last time that the defending champion made next year’s final – Ana Ivanovic missing out on a second consecutive Indian Wells title when she lost Vera Zvonareva. It’s hard to pin point why there hasn’t been a repeat winner since Navratilova.

Perhaps Serena Williams would have ended that streak if she hadn’t boycotted the tournament for 14 years, after she and her sister Venus felt an “undercurrent of racism” there in 2001. Serena won Indian Wells in 1999 and 2001, while Kim Clijsters also won two years apart in 2003 and