5 ATP players with most Indian Wells wins

• The California tennis tournament attracts the top players in the world
• Among them the top-ranking players in men’s singles
• It is a Masters 1000 event

BNP Paribas Open is well on course and it is a prestigious ATP Masters 1000 event. But, who are the ATP players with most Indian Wells wins?

The California tennis tournament attracts the top players in the world, among them the top-ranking players in men’s singles. It is an exhilarating event to watch with so much at stake.

Indian Wells sets the mood and pace for Roland Garros [French Open) which is the second Grand Slam of the year. A lot of ATP players participate for a rise in ranking and its huge prize pool.

Who are the ATP Players With Most Indian Wells Wins?

Historically, there are only 29 male tennis players to ever win the Indian Wells title. Nine of them have won this ATP Masters 1000 event severally. SportsLeo takes a look at the ATP players with most Indian Wells wins.

1. Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic hold his 2016 French Open trophy. Photo/SB Nation

The world No 1 has won the Indian Wells five times. In 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016. In 2008, after defeating Mardy Fish 6–2, 5–7, 6–3, in the championship match, Djokovic won the first of his five Indian Wells Open titles. After three years, the 24-time major winner defeated Rafael Nadal in the finals of the Masters 1000 tournament to earn his second title, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2.

Djokovic defeated Federer, his other fierce adversary, in the finals of 2014 and 2015 to win his third and fourth Indian Wells titles, respectively, with scores of 3–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–3) and 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 6–2.

Then, in 2016, the Serbian defeated Milos Raonic 6–2, 6–0 in the championship match to win his fifth title. If he can get past the five titles which equal Federer’s, the 36-year-old will become the Indian Wells all-time winner.

2. Roger Federer

Roger Federer at the 2023 Laver Cup. Photo/Eurosport

During his active playing days, Roger Federer made history as one of the ATP players with most Indian Wells wins. He won five tournaments in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2017. Kicking off his Indian Wells dominance, Federer secured his first title in 2004 with a decisive 6–3, 6–3 victory over Tim Henman.

The following year, he successfully defended his crown, overpowering Lleyton Hewitt 6–2, 6–4, 6–4. Federer etched his name further into history in 2006 by becoming the first player to win three consecutive Indian Wells titles. He dominated James Blake in the finals, taking the match 7–5, 6–3, 6–0.

Six years later, the Swiss Maestro returned to the Californian desert’s peak in 2012, edging out John Isner in a thrilling 7–6(9–7), 6–3 title match. Federer’s final Indian Wells triumph came in 2017, where he defeated Stan Wawrinka 6–4, 7–5, tying Novak Djokovic’s record of five titles at the prestigious tournament.

3. Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal won’t play at the 2024 Australian Open. Photo/The Hill

Rafael Nadal is a three-time champion at the Indian Wells, winning in 2007, 2009, and 2013. His reign among ATP players with the most Indian Wells wins traces back to 2007. He toppled his nemesis Novak Djokovic 6–2, 7–5 in the final.  Two years later, the “King of Clay” cemented his dominance with a confident 6–1, 6–2 victory over Andy Murray in the championship match.

In 2013, Nadal secured his third and most recent Indian Wells crown, overcoming a spirited Juan Martin Del Potro 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 in a thrilling title match. At 37, he’ll face Milos Raonic in the 2024 edition’s opening round, potentially marking his final appearance at the desert tournament.

4. Jimmy Connors

Jimmy Connors rules the BNP Paribas Open thrice between 1976, 1981 and 1984. Reigning supreme from the start, Jimmy Connors captured his first Indian Wells title in 1976. Debuting at the Rancho Mirage venue, he dispatched fellow American Roscoe Tanner 6–4, 6–4 in the final.

Five years later, the tournament moved to La Quinta, where Connors added another title to his collection. This time, he battled through a tough 6–3, 7–6(7–5) victory against rival Ivan Lendl.

Connors completed his Indian Wells hat-trick in 1984, outlasting Yannick Noah 6–2, 6–7(7–9), 6–3 in the final. Notably, all three of his victories came before the tournament’s relocation to Indian Wells.

5. Michael Chang

Michael Chang is also a three-time winner at Indian Wells. Emerging victorious in 1992, Chang secured his first Indian Wells title after the tournament’s elevation to Masters 1000 status. He defeated Andrei Chesnokov in a close match, winning 6–3, 6–4, 7–5.

Four years later, the 1989 French Open champion returned to conquer the Californian desert again. This time, he dominated Paul Haarhuis in the championship match, taking a decisive 7–5, 6–1, 6–1 victory.

In 1997, Chang etched his name further into Indian Wells history by defending his title.  He battled through a four-set encounter against Bohdan Ulihrach (4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–3) to claim his final victory at the tournament and tie the record held by Connors at the time.