The main draw of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, often referred to as the fifth Grand Slam, is scheduled from March 4th to 15th. Mirra Andreeva will start as the defending champion after winning her second WTA 1000 title 12 months ago. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina are also on the entry list. Four women, including a two-time Grand Slam champion, withdrew from the prestigious tournament.

Four Players Withdraw From BNP Paribas Open
Which Players Have Withdrawn?

Barbora Krejcikova was the most notable player to withdraw from the BNP Paribas Open. The former French Open and Wimbledon champion cannot play in California due to an injury. Amanda Anisimova received a walkover from Krejcikova at the Dubai Tennis Championships because of that physical issue, and she has not recovered in time to compete at the third WTA 1000 event of 2026.

Daria Kasatkina was the second player to withdraw from the BNP Paribas Open. She could not compete against Mirra Andreeva at the Dubai Tennis Championships due to a right hip injury, becoming one of several women to struggle with physical problems at the tournament. Although unconfirmed by Kasatkina, that is the most likely explanation for her not featuring in Indian Wells.

Veronika Kudermetova’s withdrawal is the least unexpected. In a post on Instagram at the start of this year, the 28-year-old announced that she underwent surgery that would sideline her for a significant period. No timeline has been provided for her return to the WTA Tour.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto was the other player to remove herself from the BNP Paribas Open entry list. During the Italian’s excellent run to the Qatar Open quarterfinal as a qualifier, she sustained a right thigh injury. That ruled her out of the Dubai Tennis Championships, and she is not ready to return in Indian Wells.

Who Replaced Those Players on the Entry List?

Zhang Shuai moved onto the entry list at Krejikova’s expense. The 37-year-old had a strong run to the Merida Open semifinal in her last tournament appearance. Magdalena Frech ended the Chinese player’s progress at that stage. She will try to play that well or even better at the BNP Paribas Open. Rebecca Sramkova took Kasatkina’s place for the Californian event. The Slovakian generally performs best on hard courts, and has an opportunity to do that again on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

Camila Osorio replaced Cocciaretto, but there are doubts about whether she will be fit for the BNP Paribas Open. The Colombian decided to withdraw from her Merida Open battle against Katie Boulter with an injury. That decision came unexpectedly and she had not looked in discomfort, which hopefully means the issue is not severe. Zeynep Sonmez is the other player now on the entry list. She fell to the eventual champion Cristina Bucsa at the Merida Open after recording victories over Cadence Brace and Ann Li in the opening two rounds.

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