Can Coco Gauff End America’s 23-Year Indian Wells Drought?

The last American Indian Wells women’s singles champion was Serena Williams.

That was 2001.

Since then, champions in the desert have shared a common thread: heavy topspin, depth under pressure, physical tolerance, and the ability to push back when they’re getting hit through.

Over the past four years, that template has belonged to Iga Swiatek, who has won three of the last four titles.

The American women’s Indian Wells drought has lasted 25 years, but Team USA is stacked, and maybe Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, or someone else from Team USA finally bring the title back home.

Read on for the American women at Indian Wells, and which five women can break the decades-long slump.

Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff has reached the quarterfinals or better in three of her four events this season. She was a semifinalist here in 2024 and owns an 11–5 career record at Indian Wells.

Her return game remains one of the best on tour, winning 47 percent of return points. The concern is the serve and her WTA Tour leading 103 double faults in 14 matches.

Despite the mediocre serve, her return game and athleticism make Gauff a real title threat.

Jessica Pegula

Jessica Pegula arrives in strong form after winning Dubai. She is 10–10 at Indian Wells with one career quarterfinal appearance.

This season, she’s holding serve at 79 percent and winning 45.5 percent of return points, steady numbers that reflect her balanced game.

With confidence high and a full week to reset after Dubai, she enters the desert fresh and remains one of the Americans most capable of making a deep run.

Amanda Anisimova

Amanda Anisimova has reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the semifinals in Dubai this season, but has shown cracks amid lofty expectations following her 2025 season.

She is 7–6 lifetime at Indian Wells but has never advanced past the second round. This year, she’s winning 44 percent of her return points while holding serve at 72 percent.

The concern is serving: 36 double faults in 11 matches have made life difficult, but the slightly faster Indian Wells surface might help Anisimova find the winner’s circle.

Madison Keys

Madison Keys has not played since her Round of 16 loss to Pegula at the Australian Open.

She is coming off her best Indian Wells showing, a semifinal run that pushed her career mark in Palm Springs to 15–14.

The slightly quicker conditions suit her first-strike style. If she arrives healthy and in good form, she has the power to win this event.

Iva Jovic

Iva Jovic is one of the fastest risers on tour.

The 18-year-old reached the Hobart final, made the Australian Open quarterfinals, and a semifinal in Auckland this season. She’s holding serve at 72 percent and winning 48.5 percent of return points, an elite number.

Playing in her backyard, she enters Indian Wells as a real threat to do some damage.