By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday, February 28, 2025
The sensational Belinda Bencic, a gold medalist from the 2020 Olympics, alongside the remarkable Sloane Stephens, who captured the US Open crown in 2017, will be joining forces with Petra Kvitova as they secure wild card entries into the prestigious women’s singles main draw at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Making her way back to the courts after maternity leave, Switzerland’s Bencic welcomed her daughter Bella into the world last April and is gradually returning to competitive tennis.
Also Read: Venus Williams Declines Indian Wells Wild Card
Once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, Bencic is now positioned at No. 58 and recently triumphed in Abu Dhabi earlier this month. Additionally, American players Robin Montgomery, Alycia Parks, and Bernarda Pera, along with rising 17-year-old talent Iva Jovic from Southern California, ranked at 162, will also be a part of the main draw.
An American tradition 🇺🇸🎾 #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/AnepaAH3m
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) February 26, 2025
Only one more WTA main draw wild card is yet to be announced in the coming days.
On the men’s side, prominent American Reilly Opelka leads the list of wild card recipients, joined by outstanding former Stanford University players, Nishesh Basavareddy and Tristan Boyer, both hailing from Southern California. Basavareddy and Boyer made waves with their Grand Slam debuts at the 2025 Australian Open, with Boyer clinching his first-round victory and Basavareddy impressively pushing Novak Djokovic to four sets, following a semifinal run in Auckland.
These wild cards will complement previously named player Joao Fonseca. While Learner Tien has previously received a wild card, he has now qualified based on his ranking, leaving one last men’s singles wild card yet to be awarded.
