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It’s Singles Finals Day at Indian Wells, and we’ve got two exciting matchups.

The Women’s Final: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Mirra Andreeva 🐻

This match feels like a mama bear vs. her cub—Sabalenka has owned this head-to-head so far, but Andreeva has a new confidence about her that could make this one interesting. Sabalenka’s power and experience vs. Andreeva’s sharp court sense and rising belief—it’s a matchup that could tell us a lot about the WTA’s future.

The Men’s Final: Jack Draper vs. Holger Rune 🔥

The 2000s babies are officially taking over the later stages of these tournaments, and Indian Wells is no exception.

We’ve been talking all week about Jack Draper’s impressive run, and after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semis—denying him a historic three-peat—he’s now in his biggest final yet. If you caught our last newsletter, we included audio from his press conference, where he spoke about managing his chronic hip injury. Despite that challenge, he’s played brilliant tennis all week.

His opponent? Holger Rune, who’s finding his way back into form. A couple of years ago, Rune looked like he was ready to be part of a “Baby Big Three” alongside Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but his results stalled. Seeing him back in a big final is a good sign—not just for him, but for the sport. He’s one of the most entertaining characters on tour, and when he’s playing well, tennis is better for it.

A Quick Word on Carlos Alcaraz 🤔

Alcaraz has made a quarterfinal, two semifinals, and won a title so far this year—a record that 90% of the ATP tour would be thrilled with. But because of his talent and early success, some see this as a disappointing start to the season.

It’s worth remembering: he’s only 21. He plays with emotion, and sometimes that means riding highs and lows. That passion is part of what makes him such a compelling player, but it also means we’ll likely see hot and cold spells throughout his career. Liked these two excerpts from his final press conference (included below).

Final Day at Indian Wells Vibes: Like the Last Day of School 🎓

Sunday, March 9th, was my last day on the grounds, and it felt like the last day of school—a day of walking around, catching up with friends, and saying goodbyes.

Also recorded the Mini Pod, which dropped last Monday. We tried to answer the question: What does #TennisParadise mean? We got a variety of answers from friends and tried to come up with our own. Plus, we threw in some additional tips for attending Indian Wells next year.

🎧 Find the episode on all podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple, etc.).

📺 Watch the video version on YouTube (linked below).

A Tough Scheduling Day for the Tournament 📅

Even on the last day of the middle weekend, the crowds were still strong, though slightly quieter than earlier in the weekend.

One scheduling twist: Alex Michelsen had to retire against Daniil Medvedev due to injury, meaning he also withdrew from his doubles match with Ben Shelton. His retirement opened up a slot on Stadium 1, so the highly anticipated Stadium 4 match between Holger Rune & Ugo Humbert was moved there—a bummer for ground passers who had planned to watch it on an outside court. This is an unfortunate possibility with retirements at tournaments.

That’s a Wrap from Indian Wells! 🎬

And with that, our time at Tennis Paradise comes to an end.

Where are we off to next? You’ll have to wait and see… 👀

📩 Subscribe now to keep up with Ground Pass On-Site—more tournaments ahead!

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