Indian Wells Draw 2025 – Perfect Tennis

The first Masters 1000 tournament of the season is upon us, and the 2025 Indian Wells draw has landed, with main draw play commencing on Wednesday, 5th March.

There is no Jannik Sinner in the draw after the Italian negotiated a 3-month ban for his two failed doping tests, and he will return in time for the French Open. That means Sascha Zverev is the top speed with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, the second seed, and he is aiming to make history by joining Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only male players to win three consecutive titles in Indian Wells.

Outside of the players, the big story is the surface change from Plexiplave to Laykold, which is also used at the Miami tournament. 

Plexiplave has been used at the Tennis Gardens for the last 25 years, so it’s a fairly significant change, and it will be interesting to see how Laykold plays and what sort of surface speed the tournament directors have opted for in the top coat. 

You can see the full draw below.

Tournament Info

Complete Indian Wells Tournament overview with history, former champions and more.

Indian Wells 2025 Seeds

Seeds

Alexander Zverev
Carlos Alcaraz
Taylor Fritz
Casper Ruud
Daniil Medvedev
Novak Djokovic
Andrey Rublev
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Alex de Minaur
Tommy Paul
Ben Shelton
Holger Rune
Jack Draper
Grigor Dimitrov
Lorenzo Musetti
Frances Tiafoe
Félix Auger-Aliassime
Ugo Humbert
Tomáš Macháč
Arthur Fils
Hubert Hurkacz
Karen Khachanov
Jiří Lehečka
Sebastian Korda
Alexei Popyrin
Francisco Cerúndolo
Denis Shapovalov
Matteo Berrettini
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Alejandro Tabilo
Alex Michelsen
Brandon Nakashima

Wild Cards

Protected Ranking

Qualifiers

Withdrawals

2025 Indian Wells Draw

Top Half

Bottom Half

Printable Draws

Thoughts on the Draw

Top Quarter

Seeded Players: (1) Alexander Zverev, (8) Stefanos Tsitsipas, (12) Holger Rune, (16) Frances Tiafoe, (18) Ugo Humbert, (19) Tomas Machac, (28) Matteo Berrettini, (29) Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard

Projected Quarterfinal: Alexander Zverev vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

Top seed Alexander Zverev arrives in Indian Wells looking to put his post-Australian Open struggles behind him and finally crack the quarterfinal barrier at this event.

Sascha had a realistic shot at becoming world number one, but his results during the Golden Swing over in South America were disappointing. A slump in form, or would he rather avoid the baggage of being another world number one without having won a Grand Slam?

The German has never made it past the last eight in the desert, but with a relatively favourable draw, he should fancy his chances of making the latter stages.

After a first-round bye, Zverev kicks off his campaign against either Tallon Griekspoor or Miomir Kecmanovic, two dangerous but beatable opponents. A third-round clash with the big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard could pose a test, as those types of players often do well in the desert.

The quarterfinal is where things get interesting. Stefanos Tsitsipas, fresh off his Dubai title, is the projected opponent. The Greek leads their head-to-head 10-6 but has lost their last two hard-court meetings and, as Zverev, has never been past the quarter-finals in Indian Wells.

Second Quarter

Seeded Players: (4) Casper Ruud, (5) Daniil Medvedev, (10) Tommy Paul, (15) Lorenzo Musetti, (20) Arthur Fils, (23) Jiri Lehečka, (25) Alexei Popyrin, (31) Alex Michelsen

Projected Quarterfinal: Casper Ruud vs. Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev hasn’t been at the races over the last 12 months, but after finishing runner-up in Indian Wells the past two years, the Russian will be hoping the desert conditions spark a return to form. 

Medvedev begins his campaign against either Nishesh Basavareddy or Yibing Wu in the second round, with Alex Michelsen likely awaiting in the third. A fourth-round showdown against Tommy Paul or Jiri Lehečka could prove tricky, but a quarterfinal with Casper Ruud is on the cards if he survives.

Ruud, who suffered food poisoning in Acapulco, will need to navigate past Marcos Giron, Alexei Popyrin, and Lorenzo Musetti to book his spot in the last eight. 

My pick to come through this quarter will be Tommy Paul, home soil, a change in surface and he made he semi finals last year.

Third Quarter

Seeded Players: (3) Taylor Fritz, (7) Andrey Rublev, (11) Ben Shelton, (13) Jack Draper, (17) Felix Auger-Aliassime, (22) Karen Khachanov, (30) Alejandro Tabilo, (32) Brandon Nakashima

Projected Quarterfinal: Taylor Fritz vs. Ben Shelton

Taylor Fritz returns to Indian Wells looking to reclaim the title he won in 2022. The third seed will open his campaign against either Sebastián Báez or a qualifier, with a potential third-round meeting against Alejandro Tabilo.

Things get trickier if he makes it through, as a fourth-round clash against either Andrey Rublev or Felix Auger-Aliassime could test his title credentials.

Ben Shelton, meanwhile, is chasing his first Masters 1000 crown, and the 22-year-old could face the tricky Learner Tien in an all-American second-round battle before a likely showdown with Karen Khachanov.

Jack Draper could also factor in this section if he’s back to full fitness, and wildcard Joao Fonseca is always one to watch after his start to the season.

Bottom Quarter

Seeded Players: (2) Carlos Alcaraz, (6) Novak Djokovic, (9) Alex de Minaur, (14) Grigor Dimitrov, (21) Hubert Hurkacz, (24) Sebastian Korda, (26) Francisco Cerúndolo, (27) Denis Shapovalov

Projected Quarterfinal: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic

Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and five-time winner Novak Djokovic headline this stacked section of the draw.

Alcaraz is bidding to become the first man since Djokovic (2014-16) to win three consecutive Indian Wells titles, while Djokovic is eyeing a record-extending sixth trophy.

Djokovic will open his campaign against either Nick Kyrgios or a qualifier. A third-round meeting with Francisco Cerúndolo could follow before a potential fourth-round clash with Alex de Minaur. Cerundolo has often played well in Miami, so with the surface changing to match that at the Hard Rock Stadium, it will be interesting if that aids him or if the desert conditions are still the determining factor.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, kicks off against Quentin Halys before a likely third-round encounter with the unpredictable but back-in-form Denis Shapovalov. If he advances, he could face either Sebastian Korda or Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round, but both of whom are injury-prone of late, with Dimitrov retiring in four of his last five matches.

Interesting First-Round Matches