Indian Wells is one of the most anticipated events in the WTA calendar. The tournament, widely known as the ‘Fifth Grand Slam’, because of the inclusion of all the top stars, is one of the best events in the world. While many women’s Grand Slam champions have left their mark in Indian Wells, others have struggled to win the tournament. Over the years, tennis champions like Venus Williams and other champions have failed to win the Indian Wells.
Venus Williams
Venus Williams is one of the icons of women’s tennis. The American superstar won multiple Grand Slam titles over the course of her career. Also, the Williams’ sisters, Venus and Serena, won numerous titles as doubles.
However, Venus Williams could never win the Indian Wells title, despite being the World No.1 for a considerable amount of time.
Ashleigh Barty
Ash Barty was one of the most talented tennis players in the world. The young Aussie star won the Australian Open title, French Open and Wimbledon at the age of 24. However, Barty decided to retire in 2022 while being the top ranked player in the world. Despite being the best player in the world for good part of two years, Barty could not win the Indian Wells.
Sofia Kenin
Sofia Kenin won the Australian Open in 2020. The American was one of the most in form players in the world during that period. However, she could not convert her Australian Open form into Indian Wells. Despite her best efforts, the American is yet to win Indian Wells. Kenin is still only 25 and has time on her hand to change that record.
Angelique Kerber
Kerber is a former World No1 in women’s tennis. The German is a multiple-time Grand Slam champion, having won a major three times. However, she could never win the Indian Wells Masters during the course of her career. Kerber came close to winning the title in 2019, but ended up losing the final in three sets.
Sloane Stephens
Sloane Stephens won the US Open title, in front of her home crowd in 2017. The American was at the peak of her game and reached her career best ranking of number 2 in 2018. However, Stephens could never crack the code at the Indian Wells. The American star is still only 30 and will have more opportunities to break her Indian Wells hoodoo.
