Naomi Osaka, Iga Świątek: Five players who could win Indian Wells

Indian Wells, often known as the “fifth Grand Slam”, gets underway on Wednesday and will run until March 20th.

The WTA 1000 event attracts some of the best talent in tennis to California, with the majority of the women’s world top 10 set to battle for the title.

World number one Ashleigh Barty is one high-profile absentee, however. The Australian withdrew last week after announcing that she is not currently at the “level necessary” to win tournaments.

With Barty absent, GiveMeSport Women runs through five players who could take the title.

Anett Kontaveit reached her seventh WTA Tour final in as many months at the Qatar Open in February.

She was ultimately defeated by Iga Świątek, but the Estonian has still enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent months, especially considering she made just seven WTA finals between April 2017 and June 2021.

With Kontaveit now at world number five, she will be aiming to secure her first WTA 1000 title to consolidate her status as one of the best players on the Tour.

Naomi Osaka is not yet back to her best since returning to the tennis court after a four month break, but there have been promising signs.

The four-time Grand Slam champion triumphed in her first three matches of 2022, dropping just one set while playing at the Melbourne Summer Set. She lost in the third round of the Australian Open, but only after a tough battle against Amanda Anisimova.

Osaka has won Indian Wells once before, in 2018. She will be hoping to earn a second title and breathe life back into her tennis career.

Paula Badosa goes into Indian Wells as the defending champion. She clinched the title in October after the tournament was moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world number seven has been inconsistent this