The 1000-point season on the WTA Tour got off to an unexpected start, with Karolina Muchova lifting the trophy in Doha before Jessica Pegula won in Dubai.
Now that the calendar is turning to March, another pair of 1000 pointers is on the cards. Sunshine Double on the US hard courts in Indian Wells and Miami. Up first is the BNP Paribas Open, where all hands are on deck. Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed, followed by Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Amanda Anisimova. Three different women have won it in the last three years – Rybakina, Swiatek, and Mirra Andreeva.
Here are my best 2026 Indian Wells WTA 1000 bets.
Iga Swiatek (+750)
In the last 12 years, 11 different women have taken the Indian Wells title. The only player to win it twice? Swiatek, in 2022 and 2024. The second-ranked Pole has not lost before a semi-final in the desert since 2021. On the way to the 2024 title, Swiatek did not drop a single set and none of the sets were closer than 6-4. Such dominance in this competition is not a real surprise. It’s not really clay, but these hard courts are as close to the red stuff as you can get. The conditions are good for Swiatek, so he should be in line for more success in Indian Wells even if the 24-year-old has not been at his best this season.
Coco Gauff (+1200)
From behind the scenes, Gauff is arguably the best player in the world right now. However, his diet may be the worst in the top 100. The fourth-ranked American simply has the yips, double-faulting everywhere in almost all of his matches. Sometimes, he is good enough to be unavoidable. And that may be the case in Indian Wells, where the serve is rarely a dominant shot. Because it plays so much like clay, breaks are common for almost everyone. Example: Gauff won his opening match last year despite hitting 21 double faults. He has reached at least the fourth round three straight times, including the semis in 2024.
Amanda Anisimova (+1600)
Anisimova’s draw is not as good as Gauff’s who would not face Sabalenka until the final with Swiatek (Anisimova could meet Sabalenka in the quarters). Still, no one is against the sixth-ranked American yet. He finished twice at the Grand Slams in 2025 (Wimbledon and the US Open) and his 2026 campaign already includes a quarterfinal effort in Melbourne and a semi-final showing in Dubai. Although Anisimova hasn’t done much at Tennis Paradise, the conditions should actually be good for her game. By a long shot, Anisimova has great value.
