Top Seeds Advance at Indian Wells

Pegula, Rybakina, Swiatek, and Svitolina reach quarterfinals

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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Several top women's tennis players, including Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and Elina Svitolina, advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Indian Wells, California on Wednesday. Pegula defeated Belinda Bencic, Rybakina retired against Sonay Kartal, Swiatek cruised past Karolina Muchova, and Svitolina had to retire against Katerina Siniakova.

Why it matters

The Indian Wells tournament is one of the premier events on the women's tennis calendar, and the progression of these top players sets the stage for an exciting quarterfinal round. Fans will be eager to see how the top seeds fare as they vie for the prestigious title.

The details

Jessica Pegula, the world No. 5, defeated No. 12 Belinda Bencic 6-3, 7-6(5) to advance. World No. 3 Elena Rybakina was forced to retire against No. 54 Sonay Kartal with the score at 6-4, 4-3. No. 2 Iga Swiatek dominated No. 13 Karolina Muchova 6-2, 6-0, while No. 9 Elina Svitolina had to retire against No. 44 Katerina Siniakova with the score at 6-1, 1-1.

  • Jessica Pegula defeated Belinda Bencic on March 11.
  • Elena Rybakina retired against Sonay Kartal on March 11.
  • Iga Swiatek defeated Karolina Muchova on March 11.
  • Elina Svitolina retired against Katerina Siniakova on March 11.

The players

Jessica Pegula

A 28-year-old American tennis player currently ranked world No. 5. She has won 11 career titles, including 8 on hard courts, 1 on clay, and 2 on grass.

Elena Rybakina

A 23-year-old Kazakhstani tennis player currently ranked world No. 3. She has won 12 career titles, including 6 on hard courts, 4 on clay, 1 on indoor courts, and 1 on grass.

Iga Swiatek

A 21-year-old Polish tennis player currently ranked world No. 2. She has won 26 career titles, including 15 on hard courts, 10 on clay, and 1 on grass.

Elina Svitolina

A 28-year-old Ukrainian tennis player currently ranked world No. 9. She has won 19 career titles, including 10 on hard courts, 7 on clay, and 2 on indoor courts.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

The progression of these top women's tennis players to the quarterfinals of the prestigious Indian Wells tournament sets the stage for an exciting conclusion to the event, as fans eagerly await to see who will emerge victorious.