Iga Swiatek will be hoping to re-capture her best form in Indian Wells after a stuttering start to the 2026 season.
The Polish star, a winner of six Grand Slam titles, began her year by reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals before losing to Elena Rybakina – the eventual champion.
Swiatek then travelled to Qatar, where she was knocked out in the quarter-finals once again, this time by Maria Sakkari.
Swiatek then withdrew from the Dubai Tennis Championships, prompting the tournament director to call for her to be sanctioned as a result.
Do you think Iga Swiatek will win a Grand Slam this season?
The 24-year-old is now in Indian Wells for the third WTA 1000 tournament of the year, and she will be hoping to improve upon her 2025 performance at the event, when she was stunned by Alexandra Eala in the quarter-finals.
If Swiatek were to win Indian Wells this year, she would achieve a feat for the first time in tournament history.
Iga Swiatek could become the first WTA player to win three Indian Wells titles
Remarkably, no WTA player in Indian Wells history has won three Indian Wells titles.
Swiatek, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Daniela Hantuchova, Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Steffi Graf, Mary Joe Fernandez and Martina Navratilova have all won the title twice.
Therefore, if Swiatek were to win Indian Wells this year, she would become the first WTA player in history to win the tournament on three occasions.
Swiatek first won the event in 2022, defeating Madison Keys, Simona Halep and Maria Sakkari on her way to the title.
Two years later, Swiatek captured her second title in California after beating Sakkari in the final once again: 6-4, 6-0.
As the number two seed at the 2026 event, Swiatek has been handed a bye through to the second round, where she will face Britain’s Fran Jones or a qualifier before a potential meeting with Maria Sakkari in round three.
It will be interesting to see how Swiatek responds if she does play Sakkari. After all, Sakkari defeated Swiatek recently at the Qatar Open.
Iga Swiatek’s reaction to winning her first Indian Wells title
After beating Sakkari in the 2022 final, Swiatek was asked what the victory meant to her.
Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek… who do you prefer? 🤔
A lot, for sure,” Swiatek said. “At the beginning of the tournament, I wouldn’t even think about winning, honestly. Of course you have to believe in yourself, but I’m a realistic person, so…
“Yeah, for sure, especially winning after playing so well in Doha is giving me a lot of confidence and kind of belief that I can do it because, I don’t know. I wouldn’t think of myself as someone who’s ready to play two tournaments in a row and win it.
“For sure hard work is paying off. Yeah, I mean, I felt for the couple of days the pressure on my shoulders a little bit more because of the stage of the tournament, and obviously how big is it. As you’re saying, it’s the biggest tournament after Grand Slams.
“Yeah, last couple of days have been really stressful for me. That’s another reason why I’m proud of myself that I made it.”
Swiatek achieved the world number two ranking for the first time in her career with her 2022 Indian Wells triumph, equalling Agnieszka Radwańska as the highest-ranked Polish WTA player in history.
Swiatek would go on to usurp Radwanska, achieving the world number one ranking just a month later after winning the Miami Open.
