Top five title favourites in men's singles at Indian Wells Open 2025

Carlos Alcaraz is a two-time defending champion at the Indian Wells Open.

After the conclusion of the Australian Open 2025, the second most prestigious tournament of the new season is around the corner. The Indian Wells Open 2025 kicks off on March 3, with the men’s singles main draw set to begin on March 8.

It has been an interesting start to the new season, full of drama and controversy. After cruising towards a second straight triumph at the Australian Open, many believed that Jannik Sinner would dominate the calendar year. However, the Italian’s dreams were cut short after being handed a three-month ban from the World Anti Doping Agency.

The absence of the World Number One provides a chance for upcoming talent to establish themselves on the ATP circuit, while out-of-form players will hope to find their footing as soon as possible. Apart from the top seed, all the top-40 ATP-ranked stars will be featuring in 2025’s first ATP 1000 Masters event.

Also Read: Indian Wells Open 2025: All you need to know about prize money and points on offer

On that note, let’s take a look at the top five title favourites in men’s singles at the Indian Wells Open 2025.

5. Stefanos Tsitsipas

Two weeks ago, many people would not have imagined that Stefanos Tsitsipas would be in the race for the ATP-1000 title. The Greek has been poor for the last few months and had a shocking start to the new season. However, a change in racquet proved wonders as the 26-year-old won his maiden ATP-500 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships 2025, beating Felix Auger Aliassime in the finals.

Brilliant accuracy on backhand winners as well as cleverness near the net made Tsitsipas difficult to compete with, turning back the clock and leaving fans wondering if Tsitsipas had regained his form. After an excellent Dubai campaign, it will be crucial for the new World Number Nine to put on a strong display at the Indian Wells.

Also Read: Top 10 players who have withdrawn from Indian Wells Open 2025

4. Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev returns to a venue where he fell short of a title win twice. Losing in the finals of the 2023 and 2024 Indian Wells to the same opponent (Carlos Alcaraz), the Russian will hope to be third-time lucky. But the recent form is against Medvedev. Since the beginning of 2024, Medvedev hasn’t won a title.

This poor form has gone on for too long. However, the 29-year-old did show signs of improvement after advancing to the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championship. A performance of substance is the need of the hour for the former US Open winner, as another early exit could see Medvedev lose a spot in the top-10 ATP rankings.

3. Alexander Zverev

Top seed Alexander Zverev had a great chance to bypass Sinner for the number one spot in the ATP rankings. After finishing as a runner-up at the Melbourne Park, a few shocking outings followed at the Argentina Open, Rio Open and Mexican Open.

Despite being the sole top player in most of these events, the German fell to far inferior players. The World Number Two was hammered by eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz during the quarter-final round of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open. Zverev would be desperate to find his lost touch ahead of the all-important ATP-1000 event.

Also Read: What is Eisenhower Cup? All you need to know about exhibition tennis tournament

2. Novak Djokovic

The most successful player at the Indian Wells returns after suffering a second-round defeat last year. A five-time champion in California, the Serbian last won here in 2016. The start to the new season hasn’t been ideal for the 24-time Grand Slam winner.

After advancing to the semi-finals Down Under, injuries have hampered Novak Djokovic‘s campaign. Additionally, he faced a round one exit to Matteo Berrettini in Qatar. Ahead of his highly anticipated return to the desert, question marks remain over the 36-year-old’s fitness, who was seen limping only a couple of weeks ago at the Doha airport.

1. Carlos Alcaraz

The two-time defending champion at the Indian Wells looks slated for a third triumph. Carlos Alcaraz is certainly the top contender for the title, but his form has not been the greatest. A defeat at the Australian Open to Novak Djokovic followed a triumph at the Rotterdam Open.

Also Read: Indian Wells Open changes surface provider after 25 years, playing conditions expected to be faster

The Spaniard was then beaten by Jiri Lehecka, who is ranked 22, at the Qatar Open. With inconsistency being the biggest concern for the 21-year-old, Alcaraz will be aware that it is his time to shine in Sinner’s absence. Djokovic remains his greatest threat, but considering his poor recent form and injury worries, the 4-time Grand Slam winner is looking good for another title in California.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram