By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday February 19, 2025
44-year-old Venus Williams is coming to #TennisParadise.
The seven-time major champion received a main draw wild card from the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday,, along with two-time champion Petra Kvitova, 18-year-old sensation Joao Fonseca and 19-year-old American Learner Tien.
The BNP Paribas Open announced its first four wild cards for the 2025 event, awarded to Grand Slam champions Venus Williams and Petra Kvitova as well as rising teenage ATP talents João Fonseca and Learner Tien.
The first wildcards are in 🥁Teenagers Joao Fonseca & Learner Tien will make their Indian Wells debuts this year!
Read More: https://t.co/FeY9Dcxmdh#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/FSQLBv4lyA
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) February 19, 2025
Williams will make her tenth career appearance at Indian Wells, having reached the semifinal three times (1998, 2001, 2018) and competing most recently last year as a wild card.
Kvitova will make her 13th career appearance at Indian Wells after a 15-month absence from competition following the birth of her first child. Kvitova has reached the quarterfinal in Indian Wells three times, including in her most recent appearance in 2023.
18-year-old Fonseca is fresh off winning his first ATP title at the 2025 Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, where he became the youngest Brazilian ATP title winner in the Open Era and the 10th-youngest titlist in Tour history. The 19-year-old Tien, a Southern California native, reached the fourth round at the 2025 Australian Open.
Per the tournament, a full list of 2025 wild cards will be announced closer to the start of the tournament.