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After almost two weeks of exciting fixtures, the Indian Wells Open will come to an end today. We’ve witnessed some interesting match-ups, with some huge upsets and very one-sided contests. Now we have two finalists, and it’ll be interesting to see who will go home with the BNP Paribas Open title at the end of the day.
Outright Predictions for Indian Wells 2023
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First of all, it’s important to point out that Iga Swiatek won the Indian Wells Open title last year, when she defeated Maria Sakkari in straight sets. Interestingly, both players made it to the semi-final of this event, and we potentially had another Swiatek vs Sakkari final in the works. However, both players were knocked out in their respective semi-final matches; and what we got instead was a rematch of this year’s Australian Open final.
Granted, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have been two of the best players over the past year; as both players won two of the last three grand slam titles. Interestingly, these players have clashed a fair few times, and Rybakina doesn’t particularly look forward to those meetings. She tends to struggle against her Belarusian opponent, losing four of their five encounters. It’s also fair to point out that Elena Rybakina’s only win against Sabalenka came in an exhibition match; she’s actually 0 for 4 in competitive fixtures against the Belarusian.
Moreover, Rybakina is coming off an impressive straight sets victory over World number 1 Iga Swiatek. She has looked unstoppable in this tournament so far, surrendering just one set. However, Aryna Sabalenka has lost just one singles match in 2023; and considering she tends to play well against her Kazakhstani opponent, we are backing the reigning Australian Open champion to win this year’s Indian Wells Open title.
Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka Head to Head
This will be the sixth encounter between these players, and their fifth in a competitive match. Aryna Sabalenka has dominated Rybakina in previous meetings between these players, winning four of their five clashes. Interestingly, skirmishes between these players have not been one-sided, as all of their previous meetings ended in maximum sets.
- 28/01/23 Sabalenka won 2-1 (Australian Open, Outdoor Hard)
- 20/12/22 Rybakina won 2-1 (World Tennis League, Indoor Hard)
- 05/07/21 Sabalenka won 2-1 (Wimbledon, Grass)
- 11/01/21 Sabalenka won 2-1 (Abu Dhabi, Outdoor Hard)
- 26/09/19 Sabalenka won 2-1 (Wuhan, Outdoor Hard)
Elena Rybakina – The Journey So Far
Being a seeded player, Elena Rybakina didn’t feature in the first round of this competition, as she got a first round bye. The 23 year old kicked off her Indian Wells campaign against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. Although the Kazakhstani came out on top in straight sets, this was far from a one-sided contest. As a matter of fact, both sets were tightly-contested, ending in tie-breaks.
In the second round, the reigning Wimbledon champion faced her first seeded player of the tournament, as she defeated Paula Badosa in two tight sets. Next, Rybakina took on Varvara Gracheva in the round of 16. This was a relatively easier match for her, as she converted seven of 12 break points en route to a 6-0, 6-3 victory.
Interestingly, Rybakina’s toughest challenge in this tournament came in the quarter-final; as she couldn’t convert 12 of her 14 break points, and needed a deciding set in order to beat Karolina Muchova. With her win over Muchova, Elena Rybakina booked a mouthwatering clash with current World number 1 Iga Swiatek. She had beaten the three-time grand slam champion at the Australian Open this year, in straight sets.
It’s fair to point out that Rybakina’s semi-final tie with Swiatek was a bit more one-sided than expected; as she took out the Pole in straight sets, surrendering just four games in the process. Now, Elena Rybakina will have a chance to avenge her loss at the Australian Open final as she takes on Aryna Sabalenka. Ahead of the final, these are the Kazakhstani’s previous results in this tournament.
- Second round vs Kenin, won 2-0
- Third round vs Badosa, won 2-0
- Round of 16 vs Gracheva, won 2-0
- Quarter-final vs Muchova, won 2-1
- Semi-final vs Swiatek, won 2-0
Aryna Sabalenka – The Journey So Far
Just like Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka was seeded ahead of this tournament, and didn’t play in the first round. Her first match came in the second round against Evgeniya Rodina, who she defeated in two short sets, breaking her five times in the process. Interestingly, Sabalenka’s third round match didn’t happen. She was supposed to play against Lesia Tsurenko, but her Ukrainian opponent withdrew due to an injury, giving the Belarusian a walkover.
In perhaps her tightest contest of this tournament, Sabalenka took on former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in the round of 16. She was broken three times by Krejcikova, surrendering one set. However, Aryna Sabalenka ultimately defeated the former World number 2 in three sets.
It’s important to point out that Sabalenka’s clash with Krejcikova turned out to be the only match where she dropped a set, as she breezed through Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari in the next two rounds, in straight sets. With her semi-final win against Sakkari, Aryna Sabalenka has won 18 of the 19 matches she has played this year. She already has two WTA titles to her name, and will have the opportunity to win her third title of 2023 today. These are the 24 year old’s results so far:
- Second Round vs Rodina, won 2-0
- Third round vs Tsurenko, won (w/o)
- Round of 16 vs Krejcikova, won 2-1
- Quarter-final vs Gauff, won 2-0
- Semi-final vs Sakkari, won 2-1
Frequently Asked Questions About WTA Indian Wells 2023
Are there any ranking points for this tournament? Yes, whoever emerges victorious at the end of this tournament will go home with 1000 WTA ranking points.
How much will the winner of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open get? This tournament has a total prize money of $8.8m on the women’s side, and the champion will go home with over $1.2m.
Who is this competition’s defending champion? Iga Swiatek reigned supreme in the previous edition of this competition.
Who do the bookmakers favour to win the WTA Indian Wells 2023 title? Current World number 1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek is the bookies’ favourite to go home with this title.
How many players are seeded ahead of this tournament? Like the men’s side, the 2023 BNP Paribas Open has 32 seeded players on the women’s side.
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