The first Masters 1000 of the new season is really imminent. The Indian Wells tournament is special for all players, because the investments of recent years have made it a truly impressive event from all points of view and it is no coincidence that it is often referred to as the ‘fifth Slam’.
In the men’s tournament, the number 1 seed is Alexander Zverev due to the absence of Jannik Sinner who has been suspended for three months. However, the top favorite to lift the trophy is certainly Carlos Alcaraz who has triumphed in the last two editions.
In both 2023 and 2024, the young Spanish ace defeated Sinner in the semifinals and Daniil Medvedev in the final.
The former world No.1 will be looking to win his second title of 2025 after Rotterdam, but he will have to be very careful to avoid those ups and downs that have also been seen in the first two months of the new season.
The 21-year-old from Murcia will not be able to underestimate any opponent, starting with Sascha Zverev and Novak Djokovic (who defeated him in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open), and he will not be able to underestimate an important change decided by the tournament organizers.
Indian Wells changes
For the first time in the last 25 years, the ‘BNP Paribas Open’ has decided to implement a change in the surface. In particular, ‘Plexicushion’ will no longer be used starting from 2025 but will switch to ‘Laykold’.
According to the first rumors, the surface will be very similar to that of the Miami Open and the US Open.
While waiting to know the first opinions of the players, the courts should be faster and the ball should have a lower bounce than in the past. The prestigious tournament in California had always been characterized by a slow surface and very high bounces, more similar to red clay than hard courts.
CAMBIO IMPORTANTE 🚨
Ojo al gran cambio que trae Indian Wells con sus pistas para la edición ya de 2025. Después de 25 años, cambian la superficie de Plexicushion a Laykold.
Es decir, la misma superficie de Miami o el US Open.
¿Cambia eso mucho el tipo de juego? Pues… pic.twitter.com/qZ9OIJyVAC
— José Morón (@jmgmoron) March 2, 2025
This change could be negative for Carlitos’ game, which had lifted the trophy in the last two editions showing a clear superiority over all his rivals.
Tennis World USA