Aryna Sabalenka will be looking to return to winning ways at Indian Wells this year after a disappointing Middle Eastern swing.
Sabalenka has struggled for form since losing in the Australian Open final to Madison Keys, having only won one match at the two tournaments in Doha and Dubai.
The Belarusian lost to eventual runner-up Clara Tauson in Dubai, with Sabalenka explaining her drop in form after the match.
With attention now turning to the sunshine double, Indian Wells has made a major change this year which Sabalenka has now reacted to after practising on the courts ahead of the 2025 tournament.
Aryna Sabalenka says what she loves about the new Indian Wells courts
Sabalenka has been speaking to media ahead of the 2025 Indian Wells tournament, and was asked about the new courts.
After 25 years of using the Plexipave hard courts, Indian Wells have followed the US Open and implemented Laykold instead.
When asked about this change, Sabalenka admitted that she was very pleased with it and suggested that they suit her game style.
“I love them (the courts),” said Sabalenka. They’re a little bit faster, which is good for me, right?
“It feels good so far. I’ll tell you later after my first match. I hope I’ll still like it.”
Sabalenka is a former Indian Wells finalist, but has only won six matches in her four other appearances at the WTA 1000 tournament.
| Year | Result | Player that beat Sabalenka |
| 2018 | Third Round | Marketa Vondrousova |
| 2019 | Fourth Round | Angelique Kerber |
| 2022 | Second Round | Jasmine Paolini |
| 2023 | Final | Elena Rybakina |
| 2024 | Fourth Round | Emma Navarro |
The world number one will begin her 2025 Indian Wells campaign on Saturday March 8 against the winner of the match between McCartney Kessler and Anna Blinkova.
Elena Rybakina explains what she has noticed about the Indian Wells courts
Sabalenka is not the only player to have voiced her opinions on the change, with men’s singles defending champion Carlos Alcaraz unsure of Indian Wells’ decision.
Another who has been particularly vocal about the pace of the Indian Wells courts is Daniil Medvedev.
Many were expecting this decision to benefit the two-time finalist, but Medvedev has suggested the opposite.
Another player to have been asked about the courts is 2023 Indian Wells champion Elena Rybakina, who actually beat Sabalenka in that final.
When speaking about the courts, Rybakina suggested that they were not too different, but noticed that the ball bounces slightly lower.
“I feel that it’s not much faster, but I will say maybe the bounce (is) a little bit lower,” said the world number seven. “The past few days were very windy and a lot of sun came, so it’s also a bit different, the bounce. But I think the court’s still nice.”
Rybakina has had a win with Taylor Fritz at Indian Wells already this year, and will begin her singles campaign against either Marie Bouzkova or Suzan Lamens.