March 4, Indian Wells As the draw for the WTA Tour’s third WTA 1000 tournament of the year is released, defending champion Swiatek, who hopes to become the first woman to win Indian Wells three times, may have a challenging opening matchup against Caroline Garcia of France.

The Indian Wells Tennis Garden’s main-draw action starts on Wednesday. Over the first two days of the competition, the first round will be played. First-round byes have been given to the top 32 seeds.

With a first-round bye, Swiatek, who leads the fourth quarter of the draw, might face Frenchwoman Garcia, who faces Bernarda Pera in the first round. In the third round, Ons Jabeur, a standout from Tunisia, may be waiting.

Reunited with her coach Pere Riba, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen may play two-time winner Victoria Azarenka in the second round.

Leading seed Sabalenka will face either Austin finalist McCartney Kessler or Anna Blinkova in the opening quarter.

Anisimova, Emma Navarro, Madison Keys, and Coco Gauff have all reached the second quarter of the draw. Keys is competing in his first competition since taking home the Australian Open title in January.

In the second round, Gauff will play either Moyuka Uchijima or Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open winner. If Abu Dhabi champion Bencic defeats Tatjana Maria in the first round, Anisimova may have a very difficult opponent.

Along with Dubai champion Andreeva and 2023 champion Rybakina, Jessica Pegula leads the third quarter.

2018 winner and former No. 1 Osaka, who will be competing in her first event since the Australian Open, when she withdrew from her third-round match against Bencic due to an abdominal ailment, is also included in the third quarter.

Camila Osorio of Colombia is selected as Osaks’s formidable opponent. The victor of the match will play Clara Tauson, a finalist from Dubai.