The Indian Wells Open is one of the best tennis tournaments of the year. The Round of 128 continues on Thursday after a good day of action on Wednesday.
These are my Indian Wells Open best bets to target on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Round of 128.
2026 Indian Wells Open Best Bets
Jennifer Brady vs. Antonia Ruzic: Brady ML (+175)
Jennifer Brady is finally trying to get back to the top of the tennis world. Brady was a top-15 player in the world in 2021. She had just made the US Open semifinals at the end of 2020 and started 2021 by making the Australian Open Final. Brady’s incredible power had her as one of the best hardcourt players in the world. She got the chance to represent America in the Olympics that summer, but then suffered a devastating knee injury in Cincinnati that kept her out of tennis for two years. Brady returned from that injury in 2023, but then suffered another injury at the end of last year that took her out for another two years.
Brady made her return at the beginning of this year in an ITF event, where she went on to make the semifinals. She made her WTA return at the ATX Open, where she was knocked out in the qualifiers. Now, Brady returns to Indian Wells for the first time in seven years. She made the third round here in 2019 and has not gotten the chance to come back since. Antonio Ruzic had a great run in Dubai, but was knocked out in the first round of every other tournament she has played in this year. Brady has a massive desire to win at Indian Wells again. I’m backing Brady to use her experience and power to win this match and start getting her career back on track.
Alex Michelsen vs. Daniel Merida: Michelsen 2:0 (-105)
Alex Michelsen is among the next generation of rising stars in American men’s tennis. Michelsen is just 21 years old, but has already made three ATP Tour Finals in his career. This will be Michelesen’s fourth trip to Indian Wells, a tournament he played at as a 17-year-old. Michelsen has improved every year here. He went from the qualifiers in 2023 to the second round in 2024 and the third round last year.
Daniel Merida is also 21 years old, but has not accomplished what Michelsen has at such a young age. He just made his ATP Tour debut last year. Merida has never made it out of the qualifiers at a Grand Slam or at an ATP Masters 1000 event. Merida has never been to Indian Wells before, even as a qualifier. He is a strong player on the Challenger Tour, but has not proven himself on a stage like this before.
My best bet is on Alex Michelsen to win 2:0 in this match. Michelsen is much more experienced at this level, despite being the same age as Merida. He knows how to win at Indian Wells and will also have the American crowd at his back. This will be a big moment in Merida’s career just to play in a match like this. Meanwhile, Michelsen is looking to take the next step in his career and compete for titles like Indian Wells. Michelsen should win this match comfortably in straight sets.
