Sloane Stephens, Belinda Bencic among latest wild-card berths awarded to BNP Paribas Open

Posted by author February 28, 2025 Tennis

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A former Olympic champion and a past U.S. Open winner headline the most recent players awarded wild cards into the main draw of the BNP Paribas Open beginning next week in Indian Wells.

Belinda Bencic, the 2020 Olympic champion, and 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens will play in the Indian Wells women’s main draw after receiving wild cards. Americans Robin Montgomery, Alycia Parks and Bernarda Pera were also awarded entry into the main draw, as well as Southern California native Iva Jovic, the runner-up at the inaugural FILA International Junior Championships at Indian Wells in 2023.

American Reilly Opelka, a four-time champion on the ATP Tour, headlines the list of men’s main draw wild cards, alongside a pair of former standout Stanford University players and Southern California natives Nishesh Basavareddy and Tristan Boyer. Both Basavareddy and Boyer made their Grand Slam debuts at the 2025 Australian Open, with Boyer winning his first-round match.

Friday’s announcement is in addition to wild cards previously announced by the tournament, running Sunday through March 16 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Former World No. 2 and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova also will play in the desert for the first time since 2023. One additional WTA main draw wild card remains to be awarded in the coming days. Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams had been issued a wild card into the women’s main draw but declined the berth because of previous commitments.

For the men’s draw, teenage star João Fonseca – fresh off winning his first ATP title at the 2025 Argentina Open – was previously awarded a wild card into the BNP Paribas Open, as was 19-year-old Learner Tien. Tien, who produced the best result of his career by reaching the fourth round at the 2025 Australian Open, has since moved into the main draw on the basis of his ranking, leaving one main draw wild card still to be awarded.

Wild cards into the BNP Paribas Open men’s qualifying draw were awarded to former University of Texas star Eliot Spizzirri, current University of Arizona senior Colton Smith, 19-year-old Frenchman Theo Papamalamis and Thousand Oaks native Rudy Quan. Quan, a freshman at UCLA, earned his qualifying wild card after winning the 2024 FILA International Junior Championship singles title. One additional wild card into the BNP Paribas Open qualifying draw will be announced.

Three-time Junior Grand Slam Champion and 2023 FILA International Junior Champion Clervie Ngounoue received a wild card into the BNP Paribas Open women’s qualifying draw, as did Carlsbad native Julieta Pareja, 2025 Australian Open Girls’ Doubles Champion Kristina Pencikova, 2017 Roland Garros Girls’ Singles Champion Whitney Osuigwe, 2024 FILA International Junior Champion Valerie Glozman and Belgium’s Hanne Vandewinkel.

Tips to have the best BNP Paribas Open experience at Indian Wells Tennis Garden

Sports columnist Shad Powers and reporter Andrew John offer four tips to newcomers attending the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Indian Wells, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2024