The BNP Paribas Open is set to welcome a host of high-profile tennis players, as several wild cards have been announced for the prestigious tournament. Among the notable recipients are 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open winner, and former World No. 6 Gael Monfils. This combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event will take place from March 1 to 15 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California.
Bianca Andreescu will be making her fourth appearance in the main draw, with fond memories of the tournament where she claimed her first WTA title as a wild card player in 2019. Sloane Stephens, competing in her 14th BNP Paribas Open, returns to the tournament after missing the previous year due to injury, eager to make an impact on the competition.
In addition to these stars, the tournament has also awarded wild cards to 2024 Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic, 2021 Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady, and 2025 Roland Garros junior champion Lilli Tagger. American players Alycia Parks and Katie Volynets round out the list of main draw arrivals. Former World No. 1 Venus Williams has already secured a wild card for the tournament as well.
On the men’s side, Gael Monfils will make his 17th and final appearance at Indian Wells, having announced that 2026 would be his last year on the ATP Tour. The entertaining French player, who boasts 13 ATP titles, reached the Indian Wells quarterfinals on two occasions since beginning his career there in 2005. Alongside Monfils, wild cards have also been given to Michael Zheng, a two-time NCAA singles national champion, Rafael Jodar, the 2024 US Open juniors champion, and fellow Americans Martin Damm Jr. and Zachary Svajda.
The qualifying draw has likewise seen promising talents receive wild cards. Among the men’s qualifiers, 2025 FILA International Junior Singles and Doubles champion Jagger Leach will compete, joined by USTA National Boys 18 and under champion Darwin Blanch, Trevor Svajda, Andrew Johnson, and Izyan Zizou Ahmad. For the women’s qualifying draw, 2025 FILA International Junior champion Julieta Pareja, along with Emerson Jones, Mary Stoiana, Elvina Kalieva, Elizabeth Mandlik, and Akasha Urhobo, will look to make their mark.
The anticipation surrounding the BNP Paribas Open is palpable, as fans eagerly await thrilling matchups featuring both established stars and rising talents in the sport.
