October 06, (THEWILL) – For the first time since 2019, the WTA tour returns to Indian Wells, California but with a number of top-ranked players out. Naomi Osaka, the 2018 winner and four-time Slam champion, will not compete, nor will world number one Ashleigh Barty.
Also, world number two Aryna Sabalenka was forced to withdraw from the competition after contracting COVID-19. Yet, with so much great talent vying for a shot at the WTA 1000 championship, there is still much to compete for in the women’s singles draw, especially in Emma Raducanu’s first outing after her historic US Open victory.
The 2021 WTA 1000 BNP Paribas Open will feature 96 participants competing for the title. The top 32 players will be seeded, and each seeded player receives an automatic bye into the tournament’s second round.
In the draw that was released, the main attraction is a potential round three meeting between Raducanu and her idol, Simona Halep.
In the second round, the recent US Open champion will face either Maria Osorio Serrano or Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Meanwhile, Halep could face a difficult task in the second round, with Marta Kostyuk, a rising Ukrainian star, or Shuai Zhang awaiting her.
In the absence of Barty and Sabalenka, Karolina Pliskova is the top seed, and she will play either Saisai Zheng or Caty McNally in her first round match.
Former champion Bianca Andreescu will face Alison Riske or a Qualifier, among the other top players. In her first tie, Maria Sakkari, who has been in fantastic form, could meet Marketa Vondrousova.
Garbine Muguruza, fresh off her victory in Chicago, might face Ajla Tomljanovic in another probable encounter. Kim Clijsters is up against Katerina Siniakova, with Angelique Kerber on the other side of the court. In the fourth round, Coco Gauff will face Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
