INDIAN WELLS NEWS & NOTES
*It will be an entirely different look this year with a lot of pairs competing for the first time in the desert this year. Last year’s final four at Indian Wells are no longer teams in 2025. Hsieh-Mertens were the 2024 champions here as 1.74 (-135) favorites over Siniakova-Hunter in the final. It marked the second straight year that the top seeded pair took home the titles. 2024 was also the sixth time in the last seven runs at Indian Wells that the final ended in straight sets.
*The semifinal field in 2024 saw the three of the top four seeds advance along with an unseeded pair. That ended a three year run where multiple unseeded pairs had made the last four. Haddad Maia-Siegemund were the last unseeded finalists in 2023 with the last unseeded champs coming in 2022 when Xu-Yang shocked the field.
*Underdog wins were an extremely rare occurrence last year with only three dogs barking out of the 31 completed matches. The largest hit came in the quarters when Muhammad-Shibahara stunned (5)Gauff-Pegula as 3.11 (+211) dogs. The other two dog scores came with one in round one and another in round two. That was down from eight dog wins in 2023 and eleven in 2022. Last year marked the first time all eight seeds avoided defeat in the opening round since 2004!
*Last year’s BNP Paribas Open might have been an outlier with seven of the eight seeds making the quarterfinals. Prior to 2024, there were 19 unseeded quarterfinalists amongst the last 32. If things reverse course, where do the seeds drop out more often? Look to rounds one and two. In 2023, five seeds got dropped in the second round and two went out in round one. In 2022, one seed went out in round two and three were dumped in the opening round. 2021 saw four seeds going down in the second round.
*There were nine super tie break finishes at Indian Wells a year ago. Five of those came in round one. In 2023, there were also nine STBs with the majority (5) coming in round two. 2022 was a robust year for the super tie break endings with 17 matches needing the extra frame. Nine of those came in round one.
THE UNSEEDED MENACES
Haddad Maia-Siegemund/Andreeva-Shnaider
These two power tandems take on each other in round one, so one is going to be out quickly. The winner is an immediate threat though with top seeds Siniakova-Townsend likely for the survivor in round two. Both have faced Siniakova-Townsend once in 2025, taking a set, but ultimately losing. Still, getting a shot early could open up the draw quickly if they pull off an upset. I think either one has a real shot to do just that.
Dolehide-Hunter
This is a team that will be fascinating to watch. Storm Hunter returned after almost a year sidelined due to an achilles injury when they teamed up in Austin. They ultimately lost their opener in a super tie break. This pair has plenty of play together in the past with a career mark of 23-11, including a quarterfinal run here at Indian Wells in 2022. It may not all come together just yet, but an early win could do wonders to lift this experienced pair into the category of an unseeded menace.
Collins-Krawczyk
The American duo returns and is set up with a BANGER in round one against Ostapenko-Perez. Collins-Krawczyk have only played once together this year, a tough three set loss to Dabrowski-Routliffe in a tough round one match in Melbourne. Ostapenko-Perez had a perfect run in Abu Dhabi in their lone action together, winning the titles earlier this year. I still think this is a tough match-up and the all-American duo are a concerning foe for anyone in this draw.
Krueger-Pegula
We’ve seen them twice and they’ve looked like a tough out both times. They beat Hsieh-Ostapenko to start the season in Adelaide and narrowly lost 10-7 in a super tie break finish to Andreeva-Shnaider in their Doha opener. They have a workable early draw that could help them grow in confidence, so I do think they’re a danger in their quarter. They could be a low key runner to the semifinals.
Fernandez-Stefani
This is their first tournament together, but Stefani’s inclusion here is enough for me to take a long look at them as sleepers. Of course they could be one and done against Dabrowski-Routliffe, but the second seeds have lost three straight coming in, including two straight openers. Stefani has played with four different partners already in 2025, going 9-4. She won a title in Linz with Babos and comes in off a quarterfinal run in Dubai with Mattek-Sands. Fernandez played with Nadiya Kichenok in all her doubles action so far this year with poor results at 2-4. I just see these two as big time BOOM or BUST candidates.
ONE AND DONE WATCH
(2)Dabrowski-Routliffe
Three straight losses and no wins since the Australian Open. That doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence despite the pedigree of this seeded pair. Admittedly they did have a rough matchup in that first match back from Australia with Andreeva-Shnaider, but a super tie break loss to Noskova-Putintseva in their Dubai opener still showed some rust. The get Fernandez-Stefani to start who I highlighted above. It feels like Gaby & Erin are just a win from taking off again, but they still need to get that win first.
(4)Ostapenko-Perez
4-0 in 2025. What’s not to like? That round one match against Collins-Krawczyk. The Americans may not play often, but they are immediately a threat any time they do. This is no different for me. Ostapenko-Perez may well come through this, but I expect it to be a fight and it’s certainly one of the harshest round one foes for a seed.
(5)Hsieh-Zhang
Why would I dare put two great doubles players on this list? Well, they have not played together yet, so there is a small shot that it could take them time to gel. That means there is a chance in round one for an experienced duo like Aoyama-Hozumi to take advantage. They’ve been a bit mediocre so far at 5-6, but any short comings for Hsieh-Zhang are something they MIGHT be able to capitalize on.
(6)Chan-Kudermetova
Which version of this pair are we getting this tournament? The one who went 30-11 last year or the ones who have played just a trio of matches in 2025, going 2-1? That last loss was fairly straight forward in Dubai, so I do think it’s reasonable to ask if they can get out of round one. Bucsa-Kato may be winless this season in four matches, but they’ve been a tough out in all of those matches. Keep an eye on this one as it could launch Chan-Kudermetova into contention or see them headed home early again.
(8)Kenin-Kichenok
They’ve played just twice and lost both matches, so confidence and chemistry is still a question. They face off against Panova-Shibahara who are teaming up for the first time. Panova especially has been on fire this year in doubles with an 11-4 record. She won Adelaide with Guo, made two quarterfinals with Stollar and a semifinal last time out in Merida with Ellen Perez. With two solid vets up against the seeds here, I think there is a real shot for an upset.
DRAW PREVIEW
Access the draw HERE
TOP HALF
This top half of this first quarter is FIRE. In round two, you may legitimately get a match equal to or better than the actual final. (1)Siniakova-Townsend have not lost in 2025 with nine wins and titles at the Australian Open and Dubai. I don’t foresee a problem with Eikeri-Olmos to start. Round two could be a different story. That is where we’re going to see them square off against Haddad Maia-Siegemund or Andreeva-Shnaider. Those are two of my absolute favorites on the WTA Tour. Both teams have been the models of consistency in 2025 with HM-Siegemund at 10-4 and the Russians going 11-2. I can’t go against the power duo of Andreeva-Shnaider here, but I wouldn’t be surprised with whatever result comes from this terrific opener. The question is whether the winner can take out the top seeds? Both have played them once and taken them to the limit. It feels like a tricky spot for Siniakova-Townsend with the winner of the other match perhaps coming in with a chip on their shoulder. For me, the winner of this second round showdown is the obvious favorite for the semifinals.
The bottom half of the quarter could be just as open, albeit without the marquee names. Kenin-Kichenok are the seeds and they could be one and done with Panova-Shibahara up first. The other first rounder features a rematch of a double bagel match from Dubai. DOUBLE BAGEL? Yes. Xu-Yan crushed Jiang-Wu when they met last month. That was a shocker, but perhaps explained some by the duo having just played the Doha final a couple days prior. That was a difficult 7-5, 7-6 loss to Errani-Paolini. For a pair that was 11-1 at the time with nothing but finals in 2025 (three tournaments, two titles), I think they’ll come into this one with revenge on their minds. Don’t discount Xu-Zhang. They won Indian Wells in 2022 and come in off a season best result of a semifinal finish in Dubai. I’m expecting a much more competitive match in that opener with the winner certainly having the inside track to the quarters. While there is talent here, I don’t know what any of these pairs have the consistency to take out Siniakova-Townsend, but I do think they could have a shot if the top seeds are ousted earlier than expected.
The second quarter in this top half is led by (3)Errani-Paolini. The Italians are 5-1 on the year after missing Dubai due to Paolini’s injury suffered in singles. Her return to health makes them an automatic threat in the desert. Muhammad-Schuurs are a tough starter, but that pair has only been so-so (4-5). The survivor could wind up seeing Dolehide-Hunter in round two. The return of the Aussie, Hunter, is one of the better stories for doubles of late. She was just starting to roll with Siniakova last Spring when she suffered the achilles injury. The former world #1 automatically makes this a power pair to watch. If they can grab an opening win against Alexandrova-Samsonova, it could be a mouth-watering round two against the seeded Italians.
The bottom half of the quarter has plenty of guess work to it. The seeds are (6)Chan-Kudermetova who reformed in Doha for a couple of wins. They lost their opener in Dubai handily to MIhalikova-Nicholls, so what do we make of this team that had so much success in 2024? They could have a tough time to open with Bucsa-Kato. Yes, that pair is 0-4, but all of their losses have been ultra competitive with three ending in super tie breaks. The other match in this section sees Ons Jabeur dipping her toes into the doubles ranks with Julie Neimeier. Ons plays doubles here and there, but is just 21-27 in her career. Neimeier plays just as little in doubles, so this is a pair that probably isn’t destined to do much. Facing Babos/Melichar-Martinez to open is rough. Those two are a regular pair that has struggled a bit to find wins at 8-7, but does come in off a solid semifinal showing in Merida. They certainly could take advantage of this wide open section and push towards a quarterfinal berth.
Errani-Paolini certainly are the odds-on favorites for the other semifinal spot, but I have a feeling there could be some turmoil in this quarter. Dolehide-Hunter is the team I am focusing on here. I feel like the results are coming for them, but is it too early with this just being Storm’s second match back?
My Favorite: (1)Siniakova-Townsend
My Sleeper: Dolehide-Hunter
BOTTOM HALF
This third quarter is intriguing because of the two seeds. Let’s start with Hsieh-Zhang. There is no experience together, but both have shown plenty to indicate they could be legitimate title contenders from the first ball. Zhang in particular makes this intriguing as she’s paired with three other partners already in 2025 with plenty of success. She made the Linz semifinals with Siniakova, the Abu Dhabi final with Mladenovic and the Austin final with Kessler. Hsieh may have only paired with Ostapenko this year, but who can’t find a groove with her? The key is getting past Aoyama-Hozumi in round one. That veteran duo might be the toughest thing they see before getting to a quarterfinal. In the other half, Ostapenko-Perez certainly know how to win together – see Abu Dhabi. Much like Hsieh-Zhang, round one looks the toughest with Collins-Krawczyk posing a sizeable obstacle. That match could twist the way this quarter plays out with the survivor having a decent round two matchup and perhaps better chemistry and confidence heading for a semifinal.
The final quarter features (2)Dabrowski-Routliffe as the lead seeds along with (7)Danilina-Khromacheva. Danilina-Khromacheva have been consistent, but not necessarily flashy. They did make their first final last week in Merida, but lost the final. Still, their experience gives them a good shot for a run at Indian Wells. The team that sticks out as one that could limit their success is Krueger-Pegula. The Americans are very capable of putting it together in this quarter and we’ll find out right away as they face two tough doubles vets in Stollar-Sutjiadi. Both have had some decent runs this year with other partners, but will be hoping to rekindle their 2021 connection that saw them with an ITF title in their lone tournament together. If the Americans can find the win column, sign me up for them to make the quarterfinals.
In the other half, can Dabrowski-Routliffe get untracked? 2025 isn’t all that different for them compared to 2024. They made a big run in Melbourne last year too and then were a bit hit and miss until making the Miami final. From there, they blossomed after missing the clay court swing together. Fernandez-Stefani do pose a risk for them in round one, but again, I still feel like they are just one win from getting it going. The other match in this section has wild cards Kalinskaya-McNally and first time pair Kichenok-Mertens. Kalinskaya-McNally could be a dark horse to make some noise here as they did pair several times back in 2022-23. They won a title in Saint Petersburg in 2022 and made the Washington final that same year. Their last action in 2023 saw them lose two of three, but both losses came in super tie breaks to quality combos on Melichar-Martinez/Perez and Siegemund-Zvonareva. Keep your eyes on those two.
This bottom half seems like it could go several ways. Dabrowski-Routliffe could finally get back to the form that saw them make another deep run at a Grand Slam. Ostapenko-Perez could continue to dominate. Hsieh-Zhang could find perfect chemistry from ball one and be the ones to beat. You also have the danger duos that are unseeded in Collins-Krawczyk, Krueger-Pegula and then more intrigue with pairs like Kichenok-Mertens and Fernandez-Stefani who we have not seen yet. Don’t forget Hsieh-Mertens won here twice in 2021 and 2024, so both come in with a very comfortable feel for the courts despite playing with different partners. This half is very difficult to predict in my opinion, so I think we could well see an unexpected semifinal pairing. Something tells me to keep Hsieh-Zhang high up on the list and I really feel like that final quarter could breed an unseeded spot in the final four. Krueger-Pegula might be my pick, but I am really fascinated by Kalinskaya-McNally to see if they can reconnect and be threats once more.
My Favorite: (4)Hsieh-Zhang
My Sleeper: Krueger-Pegula
CLOSING TIME
Is this the week that Siniakova-Townsend take their first loss of 2025? The draw didn’t do them any favors with that second round match, but if they can fight past Andreeva-Shnaider or Haddad Maia-Siegemund again, then who is going to beat them? I’d love to see Errani-Paolini get a crack at them, but that’s a tough ask given some of the unseeded danger in that top half. I also would not count out Andreeva-Shnaider making their mark yet again. They are still the most dangerous unseeded duo in the draw and capable of winning tournaments every week they play. And as I have beaten into the ether already, Dolehide-Hunter are a pair that I like a lot. They do have to get on the winning track first and foremost. Playing Errani-Paolini early might not help if that match happens.
There is plenty of intrigue in the top half alone, but the bottom may actually provide even more drama. There’s no team that stands out as the ones who should be favorites right now. Sure, Dabrowski-Routliffe have the pedigree and Ostapenko-Perez didn’t drop a set to win in Abu Dhabi, but new week, new challenges. I’m still most excited to see how Hsieh and Zhang work together. That could be a special combination this week or they could fall early if they don’t mesh well.
More often than not at Indian Wells, doubles royalty steps up and claims the prize. Hsieh. Mertens. Siniakova. It’s hard to go against Siniakova-Townsend as favorites, even with the tough draw, so I won’t. But it’s a pretty tepid tab as favorites for me as I think they can be beaten early. It’s that round two match that I think makes or breaks their tournament. They win there and there’s no excuse for them not plowing through the rest of the draw as that could be as tough a pair as they face all tournament. A loss though and you’ve got a number of duos who can step up and win this thing.
Here are my top two picks from both halves plus the dark horse I like the best/perhaps am the craziest to like at Indian Wells.
PIGPIX
Siniakova-Townsend
Hsieh-Zhang
Krueger-Pegula
DOUBLES TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS & PICKS 