Indian Wells, Jannik Sinner isn’t there but there is no shortage of Italians
Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 of the year
One of the most prestigious events in world tennis is about to kick off: Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 of the year in the men’s field and the third WTA 1000 in the women’s. With a large Italian participation, despite the absence of Jannik Sinner, who continues to serve his disqualification, the Italian team is preparing to take the court to try to conquer the highest stages of the Californian tournament.
In the men’s tournament, eyes are on Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Berrettini, both in the top seeds, which will exempt them from the first round. With them, chasing glory, will be other Italian talents: Matteo Arnaldi and Lorenzo Sonego, who, barring any last-minute surprises, will have to play from the first match. Flavio Cobolli, who starts a little further back in the rankings, will also have a direct debut, and to reach the final from outside the top 32 will have to face as many as seven matches instead of six. Along with them, Luciano Darderi and Luca Nardi complete the large lineup of Italians starting in the main draw, bringing the number of Azzurri to seven, but it is not è ruled out that there could be other entries, such as that of Mattia Bellucci, the No. 1 seed in the qualifiers, who is seeking his place in the main draw. There are also Fabio Fognini, Matteo Gigante and the return of Giulio Zeppieri, who takes advantage of the protected ranking after a long period of stop.
The women’s tournament, on the other hand, features Jasmine Paolini, who will be the leader among the Italians, with a good chance of defending the round of 16 she won last year. At her side, there are also Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Lucia Bronzetti, but while Paolini will be able to enjoy the bye thanks to her ranking, the other two will have to go through the first round, a not easy challenge.
In the men’s doubles, the presence of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori è now a constant, and in 2024 the two went all the way to the semifinals, confirming their value. Among the most curious pairs are those formed by Berrettini and Sonego, and Cobolli and Musetti, who could provide great excitement for the Indian Wells audience.
Indian Wells is thus preparing to be a stage full of challenges for the Italians, who can boast a large team full of talent, ready to fight for glory in one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit. With the qualityà of our athletes, hopes to see blue colors shine are more concrete than ever.
