Line Calls: Anna Kalinskaya, Jessica Pegula worth a bet at Indian Wells

The top players in the world have gathered at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif. This event is known as the “fifth slam,” as all the stars come out for this 1000-level event in the California desert. Elena Rybakina is the defending champion here, as she beat Iga Swiatek in the semifinals and Aryna Sabalenka in the final. But the last player to make her mark on American hard courts was Coco Gauff, at the US Open. Both were magical runs.

Keep reading for a preview of an event you simply can’t miss, and come back throughout the course of the tournament for more betting picks.

Last Five Indian Wells Champions

• 2018: Naomi Osaka
• 2019: Bianca Andreescu
• 2020: Canceled (COVID-19)
• 2021: Paula Badosa
• 2022: Iga Swiatek
• 2023: Elena Rybakina

Indian Wells Betting Odds

• Iga Swiatek +270
• Aryna Sabalenka +340
• Elena Rybakina +550
• Coco Gauff +650
• Jessica Pegula +2500
• Zheng Qinwen +2900
• Jelena Ostapenko +2900
• Elina Svitolina +4300
• Mirra Andreeva +4300
• Anna Kalinskaya +4300
• Ons Jabeur +5000
• Liudmila Samsonova +5000
• Marketa Vondrousova +5000
• Naomi Osaka +5000

(For the rest of the odds, head over to FanDuel Sportsbook)

Indian Wells Court Conditions

This tournament is played on a Plexipave hard court, which is considered a Category 2 when it comes to ITF Court Pace Rating. That means that this is slow to medium in speed. Combining that with the unique weather in the desert means that this isn’t your standard hard-court tournament. In fact, you can essentially handicap it like it’s a clay-court event. This is a tournament that features very long rallies, and it takes a mentally tough player to emerge with the title.

Indian Wells Players To Watch

Iga Swiatek (+270): Swiatek didn’t win this event last year, but she’s more dangerous than Rybakina, Sabalenka and Gauff. And most of that has to do with her dominance on clay. This isn’t a clay-court event, but it’s a hard-court tournament that plays like one. Look for the Pole to come out and play some fantastic tennis over the next two weeks. Swiatek will also be more locked in than usual after having suffered disappointing results in Melbourne and Dubai. In the middle of those two tournaments was a win in Qatar, a run featured straight-set wins over Sorana Cirstea, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Victoria Azarenka and Rybakina.

Jessica Pegula (+2500): Pegula is likely disappointed she didn’t win a title in San Diego last week, but she was able to get her feet wet playing outdoors in California. Pegula will be an interesting player to monitor over the next couple of months, as she’s already so accomplished and just made a change to her team. Perhaps a shake-up will help get the American going. But she’s definitely somebody that can make some noise in the desert. Pegula is one of the most solid players on tour, capable of being the aggressor or using her opponent’s pace against them. That’s a good quality to have on these slower courts. Pegula also happens to be on the opposite side of the draw from Swiatek and Rybakina. That’s the more open half, giving her a shot at doing something special.

Anna Kalinskaya (+4300): Kalinskaya has been the breakout star of the 2024 season. The 25-year-old made a run all the way to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, and she hasn’t slowed down since. Kalinskaya comes into this event after having gone to the final in Dubai, where she lost a tight three-set match to a red-hot Jasmine Paolini. But over the course of that week, Kalinskaya earned victories over Jelena Ostapenko, Gauff and Swiatek. She very much looks the part of a Top 10 player, and she should work her way up the rankings the remainder of the season. Also, her all-court style makes her a good match for these conditions. Kalinskaya doesn’t have many holes in her game, so she should be able to outlast opponents.