WTA Finals Indian Wells Sabalenka, Digi Mart USA News: Indian Wells is back in the spotlight this week as Aryna Sabalenka looks to triumph at the venue for the second time this year and end her season with some much-needed glory at the WTA Finals.
The eyes of the tennis world will be fixed on California this coming week, and on Sabalenka in particular, with the four-time Grand Slam champion under big pressure to perform and write a happy ending to what has been a disappointing season for her.
The withdrawal of world number one Elena Rybakina has left Sabalenka as the top seed and favourite. Not only is she now the highest-ranked player in the draw, but she also prevailed on the courts of Indian Wells earlier this year, claiming her first major title of the season at the WTA 1000 event.
However, only one WTA 1000 title and no Grand Slam titles have followed in 2026, making the year-end event all the more important for her. Sealing her first WTA Finals crown could somewhat salvage the first year since 2022 in which she has failed to win a Grand Slam.
She faces some formidable challengers, including one in her own group in the form of Mirra Andreeva. The 19-year-old became a Grand Slam champion this year and has won two of her last four meetings with Sabalenka, including one in the Indian Wells final in 2025.
Over in Group A, meanwhile, there are two stars with home advantage in Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, and both did well on the US hard courts this summer, reaching the US Open semifinals after contesting a Cincinnati Open final won by Gauff.
They met again on the opening day of the Finals on Sunday, with Gauff winning a three-set thriller 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 in the first of numerous battles between the world’s best that will be treated to in the days to come.
While those who prevailed in the Race to Turin will be preparing to do battle this week, Taylor Fritz will be licking his wounds and looking to bounce back in Sweden. He missed out on the year-end Finals in dramatic and devastating fashion, with his hopes ending in Paris in one of the matches of the season, failing to convert two match points before narrowly losing to Carlos Alcaraz.
It will take a while for him to put that defeat behind him, but winning the title in Stockholm can go a small way to easing the pain.
His biggest threat will most likely be the man Alcaraz beat in the following round in Paris, Casper Ruud, who won this event in 2025 and played well on his way to the semifinals in the French capital.
Lorenzo Musetti will very much fancy his chances of beating both men to the title, having beaten Fritz in the Lyon final before knocking world number one Alexander Zverev out in Paris, while Holger Rune will be keen to end his season on a high as he ramps up his return from a long-term injury.
As one year-end event ends, another begins on Sunday, with the ATP Finals getting underway in Turin. The field is perhaps lower-profile than usual, with Jannik Sinner absent through injury and Novak Djokovic failing to make the cut, but it still features three Grand Slam champions in Alcaraz, Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, while Ben Shelton, Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe and Rafael Jodar will be giving absolutely everything to win the biggest title of their career yet.
The draw will take place on Thursday, and a closer look at the event will follow in next week’s preview amid the backdrop of the opening matches.
