Iga Swiatek trains with Paula Badosa ahead of the Indian Wells Open 2021
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Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa
After being cancelled in 2020, the event which is sometimes referred to as the 5th Grand Slam, The Indian Wells is set to return this week. With the Indian Wells main draw starting from the 7th of October, athletes have started gearing up for one of the biggest events before the WTA Finals in Turin, later this year. 2020 French open champion Iga Swiatek was seen in a practice session with Spaniard Paula Badosa.
Iga, who is the youngest player in the top 10 WTA rankings, has had a stellar run of form lately, as she has climbed up the rankings table to World No.4. She looks to be one of the favourites for the tournament and would be seeded 2nd, just behind Czech Karolina Pliskova.
The only Polish Grand Slam winner in history, Iga has come a long way since 2019, where she had been ousted in the qualifiers itself. On the back of a semi-final at the WTA 500 event in Ostrava, and a career-high ranking, Iga would be looking to maintain her consistency and go even a step better at the Indian Wells.
Paula Badosa practices with Iga Swiatek
Spaniard Paula Badosa, who has had a good few months since her quarterfinals at the French Open this year, would also be looking to make a mark at the Indian Wells after having failed to make it past the qualifiers back in the 2019 event. Paula posted a story on Instagram with Iga Swiatek after their practice session.
The Polish sensation had suffered a shock defeat to Paula earlier this year in the 2nd round at the Tokyo Olympics as her hopes of bringing home a medal for her nation were dashed. Iga had exclaimed after the match, “Felt like I was playing against a wall.”
Also Read: Indian Wells 2021: Women’s Singles Draw Preview and Prediction for BNP Paribas Open
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