Indian Wells field revealed: 12 dream doubles teams at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open

Field reveals typically aren't stop-the-presses news in tennis. The players who will compete in a given tournament typically aren't a surprise, especially for 1000-level events, given their near-mandatory nature. Rankings are spoilers, and besides the wild-card offerings, there's often little intrigue.

The 2024 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells is a little different, though. For one, there's the week-to-week uncertainty of Rafael Nadal during his likely final season on tour. Rafa will resume competition later this month in Doha—a hard-court tournament—but it wasn't a guarantee that he'd take part in the U.S. Sunshine Double.

But at least as Indian Wells is concerned, Nadal is a go. He's won this Masters event three times, and after missing the Australian Open due to injury, this year's edition will be the biggest tournament he'll play so far in 2024.

Of comparable interest is Novak Djokovic, the five-time tournament champion who will return to Indian Wells for the first time since 2019. Djokovic missed the last three BNP Paribas Opens due to his COVID-19 vaccination status.

In all, the entire ATP and WTA Top 10 will head to Southern California, yielding a field that is essentially Grand Slam level. That includes defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina, former champions Iga Swiatek and Taylor Fritz, Australian Open champions Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner—not to mention Daniil Medvedev, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Qinwen Zheng, among others.

No matter who emerges victorious, the singles tournaments should be fascinating. But as is often the case at Indian Wells, the doubles draws can be just as compelling.

Maybe it's something in the pleasant Coachella Valley air, but singles stars regularly find their way into the BNP Paribas Open's doubles competitions, resulting in some dream pairings. Roger Federer teamed with Stan Wawrinka in 2011 (they finished runner-up that year) and 2014; Djokovic reached the 2019 semis with Fabio Fognini; and in 2017, Nadal shared the net with—are you ready—Bernard Tomic.

In her short career, Gauff has paired up with regular partner Pegula and not-so-regular partner Leylah Fernandez; just three years ago, Swiatek competed alongside Bethanie Mattek-Sands; and Sabalenka won it all with Elise Mertens in 2019.

We just saw Ons Jabeur and Naomi Osaka play doubles together in Abu Dhabi. What's your dream team at Indian Wells? Our editors weighed in:

• Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal: Aim high, right? They've actually joined forces once before, at the 2010 Rogers Cup in Toronto, where they took a 5-7, 6-3, [10-8] loss to Canucks Vasek Pospisil and Milos Raonic. But this is likely the last opportunity we'll have to see 46 Grand Slam singles titles on one side of a doubles court.—Ed McGrogan
• Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka: The Sabadosa besties have been off the doubles court since 2022, in large part due to Badosa’s persistent injuries, but the self-described “tour soulmates” are overdue for a result worthy of their off-court chemistry. Though Sabalenka has taken a step back from doubles as her singles career has taken off, she remains a formidable out in a team format, having won two majors and been a doubles No. 1. In search of match play after a back issue derailed her 2023 season, might Badosa, a former IW singles champ, reunite Sabadosa in Tennis Paradise?—David Kane
• Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka: Sure, Gauff is reducing her doubles participation in order to focus on singles. But before the former doubles No. 1 cuts the cord completely, there’s one partnership fans need to see. Gauff won the US Open title last year in a full-circle moment, having left the court in tears back in 2019 after suffering a 6-3, 6-0 third-round loss to Osaka—who comforted the teen phenom in an instantly viral post-match moment. Five years on, we’d love to see them on the same side of the court again.—Stephanie Livaudais
• Casper Ruud and Miomir Kecmanovic: Speaking of besties, this Next Gen boy band doesn’t lack for chemistry but hasn’t teamed up since 2021, after a string of defeats. They proved formidable in their 2019 debut, defeating seeded teams at two majors that season, but both have opted to nurture respective singles successes—particularly Ruud, who came within one win of becoming world No. 1. An unsatisfying 2023 may find the Norwegian looking for extra matches before the tour turns back to clay; who better to help him out than his junior buddy?—David Kane

• Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek: Osaka says she needs matches. As she continues her comeback from maternity leave, what better way to build back match fitness than doubles with the world No. 1? The last time they shared the court—as singles opponents—was in 2022, when Swiatek won 6-4, 6-0 in Miami. Off the court, they’ve developed a great camaraderie through practice sessions, social media, conversations about mental health and more. These two introverts can bring each other out of their shells, and advance in the draw.—Stephanie Livaudais
• Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Bublik: With two opponents, it's hard to hit a winning drop shot in doubles. But Lord knows these two will try. Beyond that, what shot couldn't this team hit?—Ed McGrogan
  • Honorable Mention: Alexander Bublik and Anyone
• Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz: An Olympic year means tennis fans are already dreaming about patriotic pairings, and there’s no partnership with more hype than Nadal and Alcaraz possibly representing Spain (at Roland Garros, site of the Olympic tennis event). These two have been teasing a collab since last year, but between Nadal’s health and their need for a wild card to get into the competition, nothing is guaranteed. So why wait until Paris? Indian Wells is the perfect venue for this dream duo to test the waters—and maybe even send a message to the ITF in the process.—Stephanie Livaudais
• Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko: You want a powerhouse duo? Look no further. Ostapenko has more than proven herself a worthy teammate in winning WTA titles with five different partners, while Rybakina provides underrated hands and feel around the court to go with one of the best serves in the game. Both players bring pure power to the court that rivals the heat of the desert—and if there is any truth to bad blood between them, burying the hatchet by bridging their contrasting personalities is made for tennis viewing paradise.—Matt Fitzgerald

• Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas: This most unexpected duo could make a deep run in the doubles scene—that is, if they can put aside their differences for a couple of hours. Let their contentous past consume the team four games into the first round...and then have them meet in the singles draw.—Liya Davidov
• Danielle Collins and Emma Navarro:There's a lot to work with here. Collins, a two-time NCAA singles champion from the University of Virginia, is playing her final season. Navarro, the 2021 NCAA singles champion from the University of Virginia, it just getting her career started, but is already at a career-high ranking (No. 23). The 22-year-old and the 30-year-old have teamed up once before, at last year's Roland Garros, but a Cavalier reunion could be much more impactful this time around.—Ed McGrogan
• Danielle Collins and Madison Keys: Danielle part deux! I'd love to see two seasoned Americans shake up the doubles draw. It would excite the crowd, be a great way for Keys to return from injury, and would be one of the highlights for Collins’ last IW run.—Liya Davidov
• Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov: These childhood friends and regular partners won a long-awaited first doubles title together last year in Madrid. But don’t let their dismal strike rate fool you, as Rublev—the reigning Olympic champion in mixed doubles, and a four-time doubles champion on tour—can probably carry any team he’s in, and Khachanov’s big serve simplifies any strategy. Either way, the good vibes are all but guaranteed as the 2023 ATP Fan Favorite Doubles Team laugh their way to the finish line.—Stephanie Livaudais