Indian Wells 2026: Gael Monfils and Venus Williams headline wild cards as BNP Paribas Open begins with the qualifying draw
Gael Monfils’ farewell tour and the return of icons Venus Williams and Bianca Andreescu headline the 2026 BNP Paribas Open wild cards. With Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner already on-site and Izyan “Zizou” Ahmad set for a viral qualifying debut, “Tennis Paradise” officially begins today amidst a reshuffled entry list.
Gaël Monfils, Indian Wells 2025 | © Tennis Majors
As the morning sun rises over the Coachella Valley, the BNP Paribas Open prepares to transform the desert into a global tennis sanctuary, hosting the first ATP Masters 1000 of the season alongside a premier WTA 1000 event on the women’s side.
The official confirmation of the 2026 wild card recipients and a series of last-minute entry list shifts have set the stage for one of the most prestigious stops outside of the four Grand Slams, held at the self-styled “Tennis Paradise”.
The headline of the announcement is the final desert appearance of Gael Monfils. The 39-year-old French icon, a perennial crowd favorite known for his acrobatic shot-making, has confirmed that this season marks his professional retirement. Returning for his 16th and final campaign at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Monfils leads a diverse field of invitees looking to make their mark on the hard courts.
Monfils and Venus in the draw
Returning for his 16th and final campaign at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Monfils leads a group of ATP main draw wild cards that includes Rafael Jódar, the 2024 US Open Junior champion, and Michael Zheng, the Columbia University standout who recently stunned Sebastian Korda in Melbourne.
They are joined by American mainstays Martin Damm Jr., a semifinalist in Montpellier, and local Southern California native Zachary Svajda, both of whom will look to capitalize on the home-court advantage.
The WTA field is equally star-studded, anchored by the legendary Venus Williams. At 45 years old, Williams continues to defy time, becoming the oldest player in tournament history to compete in the main draw.
The women’s invitations also signal a major return for Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 champion who famously became the first wild card to win the title here. Alongside her are 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens, Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekić, and Jennifer Brady, a runner-up at the 2021 Australian Open, who is making a highly anticipated return to the WTA 1000 level.
Musetti back on Tour
The draw is further rounded out by 2025 Roland-Garros Junior winner Lilli Tagger, as well as Americans Alycia Parks and Katie Volynets.
While the wild cards provide the narrative flair, the top of the rankings are also converging on California. World Number 1 Novak Djokovic has already been spotted in the region, seeking to extend his record-breaking legacy in the desert.
He is joined by Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, who has not competed on the tour since a premature retirement at the Australian Open.
Izyan “Zizou” Ahmad in the qualification draw
His return to health adds another layer of depth to an international field that remains largely intact despite four late withdrawals from Tomas Machac, Alexandre Muller, Lorenzo Sonego, Juncheng Shang, and Hamad Medjedovic.
The competitive action officially begins on Sunday, March 1, with the opening of the qualifying draw. The most captivating story of the preliminary rounds is 15-year-old Izyan “Zizou” Ahmad, an American wild card whose professional journey has been a decade in the making since a viral “pinky promise” with Roger Federer in 2017.
Ahmad is part of a “legacy” qualifying field that includes Jagger Leach, the son of Lindsay Davenport, and Elizabeth Mandlik, daughter of Hana Mandlíková.
Matches begin at 10:00 AM PST, as these prospects fight for 12 coveted spots in the main draw.
