Pandora Hughes
Iga Swiatek is the favorite to win the WTA event at Indian Wells, but Victoria Azarenka has a good record on this surface and could be worth backing to challenge the world number one.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Checking out the best-rated online sportsbooks it is no surprise that Iga Swiatek, the world number one, heads the betting for the WTA event. She is available at +150 with many bookies, with her nearest challenger, Aryna Sabalenka, being as high as +500. In the ATP event, Daniil Medvedev is the favorite with bettors at +145 with Stefanos Tsitsipas at +500 and Carlos Alcarez at +700.
| Women's Event Winner |  |  |
| Swiatek | n/a | n/a |
| Sabalenka | n/a | n/a |
| Rybakina | n/a | n/a |
| Pegula | n/a | n/a |
| Gauff | n/a | n/a |
| Garcia | n/a | n/a |
| Bencic | n/a | n/a |
| Krejcikova | n/a | n/a |
| Jabeur | n/a | n/a |
Indian Wells 2023 Betting Briefing
Indian Wells is sometimes referred to as the fifth Grand Slam event and is one of only two tournaments outside the Grand Slams to extend play over eight days, the other being the Miami Open – the second leg of the so-called Sunshine Double. The competition is held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the world’s second-largest permanent tennis stadium, and attracts crowds and global TV audiences that are only bettered by the four Grand Slam competitions.
The surface at Indian Wells is technically a hard court surface, known as Plexiplave, which has a reputation for being one of the slowest hard courts around, limiting the effectiveness of big serves and aggressive baseline play, and ensuring that clay court specialists have a chance.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer hold the joint record for men’s titles, with five apiece, while the women’s event has been more competitive, with nine women having won this tournament twice.
ATP Indian Wells Betting
The absence of Novak Djokovic may be bad news for the tournament organizers but it is good for tennis fans and bettors, opening up the ATP tournament, which has already been won by underdogs in the last two years. Cameron Norrie, winner of the Rio Open last week, won here in 2021 and America’s Taylor Fritz was the surprise victor last year, beating Rafael Nadal in the final.
With Nadal also out, and veteran Andy Murray not the force of old, Daniil Medvedev is the betting favorite here, and wins in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai underline that he is in red-hot form in 2023. The problem for Medvedev backers is that this has never been his strongest event. In fact, he has yet to reach the quarter-finals in five attempts, which makes him an unattractive favorite at short odds.
At the current prices, Carlos Alcaraz looks a better option among the main contenders. The Spanish star achieved his best prize to date on US soil when winning the US Open last season, and as one of only four players this century to reach the Indian Wells semi-finals before the age of 19, he is in distinguished company alongside Djokovic, Federer and Murray. He was last seen reaching the final at the Rio Open so doubts over his fitness have definitely been dispelled and he has a great chance here.
Further down the betting list, Felix Auger-Aliassime could also be worth a wager. The Canadian is the only current member of the ATP Top 10 who has yet to reach an ATP 1000 final. He has yet to find form, this season, although has a quarter-final and semi-final appearance to his name and the return to North America could be to his advantage.
WTA Indian Wells Betting
The betting for the women’s event at Indian Wells is unsurprisingly dominated by Iga Swiatek, who is aiming to become the tenth woman to win two editions of this tournament and the first since Martina Navratilova in 1991 to win back-to-back events.
Swiatek lost in the final in Dubai at the end of February, which was a surprise, but that still makes it two finals from three tournaments in 2023 and her stats across all categories show her to be the dominant force in women’s tennis by some margin. Still, at her current odds, she doesn’t seem to offer a huge margin and it is probably best to look elsewhere.
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are good alternatives in terms of ability, but neither has a great record in North American tournaments. The same can be said for Barbara Krejcikova, who beat Swiatek in Dubai, although she is in top form at the moment.
Instead, at longer odds, it could play to take a chance on Victoria Azarenka. Until Dubai, she had the best win percentage record on hard courts in the WTA, and although she has now been overtaken by Swiatek, she remains a formidable and experienced opponent, particularly on North American hard courts.
Best Online Sportsbooks to Bet on Indian Wells
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