Throughout its rich history, the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells has established itself as one of the most prestigious stages for the emergence of young stars. With Mirra Andreeva's recent triumph at the age of 17, the Russian reaffirms that in California, age is no barrier to greatness.
Stars are born in the desert
The 'Fifth Grand Slam' brings together the best tennis stars in the world who come to Tennis Paradise to compete for one of the most prestigious trophies. The fast courts, the weather and the atmosphere are unique, which makes the event one of the favorite ones for the real protagonists.
It is in the desert that many young players have made their mark and proven that it is not always about experience or strength. Such has been the case of Mirra Andreeva, who won her second WTA 1000 title in a row and has gone from being one of the great promises of women's tennis to a reality.
In a thrilling final, Andreeva managed to come from behind in a tough match against none other than world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Among the men, Carlos Alcaraz's first title at the Tennis Garden, at the age of 19, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final, is well remembered.
We will now take a brief look at the tournament's most premature champions, prodigies who did not feel the pressure and replaced experience with courage.
WTA Tour
Bianca Andreescu : 2019 : 19 years old
Every great tennis player has a year where she plays at a dream level of tennis, 2019 was that year for Canadian Bianca Andreescu. On hard courts, Andreescu became one of the most dangerous players of the season, winning Indian Wells, the Canadian Open and the US Open.
In the final of the Californian tournament, Andreescu defeated Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-4, 3-6, 6-4;
Martina Hingis | 1998 | 17 years old
Martina Hingis played veteran tennis from the very first moment she arrived on Tour. Her precision and anticipation on the court earned her an early crown at Indian Wells at the age of 17, although she was already leading the ladies as the No. 1 ranked player at that time;
Her opponent in the final was the American Lindsay Davenport, whom she defeated easily by 6-3 and 6-3. That season Hingis had just been crowned at the Australian Open and would end up winning all the majors except Roland Garros that same year;
Serena Williams | 1999 | 17 years old
Another example of how great legends often emerge early in their careers was the case of Serena Williams. On the eve of the new millennium, the youngest of the most famous tennis sisters arrived at the Indian Wells final as the world number 21, where she was to meet another tennis icon, Steffi Graf;
Serena would give the big blow by winning 6-3, 3-6 and 7-5. This triumph would be the one that would mark the beginning of her career, being the first of her WTA 1000, and the takeoff of a career that would culminate with 23 Grand Slam titles.
Maria Sharapova - 2006 - 18 years old
Another former world No. 1 joins our list of young Indian Wells champions. At the age of 18, Maria Sharapova would reach the top in the desert. The Russian, then world No. 4, easily defeated Slovakia's Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-2. Sharapova was already one of the great tennis stories at the time, since two years earlier, at just 16 years of age, she had won Wimbledon.
Mirra Andreeva : 2025 : 17 years old
The motivator of this list, Mirra Andreeva, is called to be one of the great figures of tennis from now on. Champion in Dubai and champion in Indian Wells, her progress on the Tour has been remarkable, defeating tough opponents along the way;
Andreeva had a path to the final of the tournament that was an epic in itself: Rybakina (n°8) in the round of 16; Svitolina (n°24) in the quarterfinals; Swiatek (n°2) in the semis and Sabalenka (n°1) in the final. A real madness and a future as bright as impossible to predict.
ATP Tour
Boris Becker | 1987 | 19 years old
Becker's name resonates strongly in tennis history, and his triumph at Indian Wells 1987 is a clear example of them.
The German came in as world number 3 and defeated Stefan Edberg in the semis and Emilio Sanchez Vicario in the final by 7-5, 6-4, 2-6 and 6-4;
Jim Courier | 1991 | 20 years
The American Jim Courier arrived at Indian Wells as the 25th favorite, something that did not prevent him from overcoming each round with solidity. In the final he faced Frenchman Guy Forget, whom he managed to come from behind to win by 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and 7-6. This title marked the beginning of his best period on the Tour. Between 1991 and 1992, Courier also won 2 Grand Slam titles.
Carlos Alcaraz | 2023 | 19 years old
Much closer in time, another great champion was beginning to make a name for himself. In 2023, the player from Murcia - who had already won his first major title at the US Open the previous season - arrived at Indian Wells as number 2 in the world, just behind Novak Djokovic. The Tennis Paradise courts were sure to suit Alcaraz, who reached the final where he defeated Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2. His hegemony in the Fifth Slam would extend for almost two more seasons, winning the 2024 edition and falling in the 2025 semi-final against Jack Draper.
Rafael Nadal : 2007 : 20 years old
Rafael Nadal, one of the most iconic names in tennis, added a title in Indian Wells to his extensive list of titles in 2007, when he was 20 years old. He came into the tournament as the No. 2 ranked player at the time, and would face one of his greatest rivals for 20 years, Novak Djokovic, in the final. Nadal prevailed with a score of 6-2, 7-5 in a duel that lasted two intense hours. This triumph was especially significant, as it was his first title in this tournament and a demonstration that Rafa could win on any surface.
Novak Djokovic : 2008 : 20 years old
In 2008, Novak Djokovic's name sounded louder than ever after the Serb's coronation at the Australian Open. In a circuit entirely dominated by Federer and Nadal, his irruption brought even more quality to the Tour, which was dominated by these three greats for 20 years.
Novak defeated American Mardy Fish in the final at the Tennis Garden by a score of 6-2, 5-7 and 6-3. Eventually, Djokovic would become the tournament's most successful player alongside Federer, with 5 wins per side.
