Indian Wells has almost arrived, with tennis legend Martina Navratilova now predicting her WTA champion in California.
Qualifying for Indian Wells is already underway, with WTA and ATP main draw action set to commence on March 4th.
And just before it starts, 18-time Grand Slam winner Navratilova has done her utmost to pick out a champion for the imminent WTA 1000 tournament.
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Martina Navratilova thinks Aryna Sabalenka will win Indian Wells
Navratilova told the WTA website when asked to pick a winner: “You still have to go with [Aryna] Sabalenka because she’s got the weapons.
“Right now, the way everything is going, if [Elena] Rybakina is fully healthy, they are the top two players, clear frontrunners.
“They might come close to the level of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz if they keep going this way unless Coco [Gauff] figures things out and [Iga] Swiatek gets her mojo back.
“I think she’ll be out for revenge. Knowing her, Sabalenka is hoping she’s going to play Rybakina at some point.”
Sabalenka has a great chance of Sunshine Swing success, entering Indian Wells and the Miami Open with an 11-1 record for the season.
Meanwhile, Rybakina has a 12-3 record for 2026, with her season including an Australian Open final win over Sabalenka.
But Sabalenka also has a title to her name, winning her Brisbane International final with Marta Kostyuk just before the first Grand Slam of the season.
Who will be ranked higher by the end of 2026 – Elena Rybakina or Aryna Sabalenka?
Martina Navratilova worried about Aryna Sabalenka’s Grand Slam finals record
Navratilova was also asked to predict Sabalenka’s run at the Sunshine Swing in general, in light of that 11-1 record.
She said: “She played so well getting to the AO final, winning tough matches. Kept it together, but she was not nearly near her best.
“The good news is that she’s getting to Grand Slam finals – five of the past six. The bad news is that she’s lost three of them.”
It is indeed a somewhat worrying record for Sabalenka, who has now reached eight Grand Slam finals, winning four and losing four.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Win | 2023 | Australian Open | Hard | Elena Rybakina | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2023 | US Open | Hard | Coco Gauff | 6–2, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 2024 | Australian Open | Hard | Zheng Qinwen | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Win | 2024 | US Open | Hard | Jessica Pegula | 7–5, 7–5 |
| Loss | 2025 | Australian Open | Hard | Madison Keys | 3–6, 6–2, 5–7 |
| Loss | 2025 | French Open | Clay | Coco Gauff | 7–6(7–5), 2–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 2025 | US Open | Hard | Amanda Anisimova | 6–3, 7–6(7–3) |
| Loss | 2026 | Australian Open | Hard | Elena Rybakina | 4–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
Rybakina, in contrast, has a 2-1 record, as does Gauff, while their fellow WTA star Swiatek boasts a 100% success record from her six finals.
All four players are in the field for Indian Wells, where Mirra Andreeva is the defending champion following last year’s final win over Sabalenka.
The Belarusian superstar also lost in the 2023 final, although she did emerge victorious at the Miami Open in 2025.
On the ATP Tour, Jack Draper will be out to defend his title at Indian Wells, having beaten Holger Rune to the trophy this time last year.
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