The 2024 tennis season is off and running with tuneup tournaments underway for the year’s first Grand Slam in Melbourne later this month. While new era superstars continue their ascent to reshape the face of the sport, it’s a few familiar veterans that have been grabbing the headlines early in 2024 as they return to action and mount comeback efforts on court. 

See which stars including Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka are making noise early on the comeback trail as they get back in action and mount a return to Indian Wells for the 2024 BNP Paribas Open, March 3-17, 2024.

RAFAEL NADAL 

The king is back.

After nearly a year spent recovering and rehabbing from an injury suffered at the 2023 Australian Open, Rafael Nadal is back on court doing what fans have had the pleasure of watching him do for over two decades now: play mesmerizing, world-class tennis.

Nadal returned to the court in style in Brisbane to ring in the new year, defeating fellow distinguished veteran Dominic Thiem in straight sets to send a message to the rest of the tour that he is back and ready to compete at the highest level. 

Now at 37-years-old with a hungry field of youngsters ready to dethrone him, nothing will be easy for Rafa, but fans headed to Tennis Paradise next March can get excited knowing that things are shaping up for the legend to return to the desert this March and make a run at a fourth BNP Paribas Open title.

NAOMI OSAKA 

Another former Indian Wells champion is making headlines to start the 2024 season as Naomi Osaka has returned to the court for the first time in nearly a year following the birth of her child. The 4x Grand Slam champion Osaka is no stranger to success Down Under having won the Australian Open twice already, and she’ll have her eyes set on more glory in Melbourne in just a few weeks when she makes her long-awaited return to the Grand Slam stage.

Osaka triumphed in her first match of 2024 in Brisbane before fallking to former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in Brisbane, but early indications show that the Japanese superstar is ready to return to a high level of tennis that all fans can look forward to seeing in 2024.

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI

Tennis fans were treated to a mid-season delight in 2023 as former BNP Paribas Open champion Caroline Wozniacki came out of retirement to return to the court for the American hardcourt summer swing. Wozniacki picked up right where she left off after a two-year hiatus, putting together a run to the fourth round at the 2023 US Open before losing to the eventual champion Coco Gauff.

The Danish star is now rested and ready to rumble in 2024 with eyes set on capturing a second career Australian Open title. After that, she’ll look to Indian Wells as another place to dream of capturing another coveted trophy back on American soil.

ANGELIQUE KERBER 

Another former Grand Slam champion is back in the mix as Germany’s Angelique Kerber has returned to the tour following a year and a half off that saw her give birth to a new baby daughter. 

It was only four year ago that Kerber found herself one match away from a BNP Paribas Open title when she fell to Bianca Andreescu in the 2019 Indian Wells final, and she’ll be eager to return to that exemplary hard-hitting level of tennis that made her a mainstay on tour for so long in her career.

After giving it a go in Melbourne later this month, Kerber is another name that fans can expect to see this spring in what’s shaping up to be star-studded WTA player field at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open.

THE 2024 BNP PARIBAS OPEN RETURNS MARCH 4-17, 2024

Experience world-class tennis and the unparalleled atmosphere of Indian Wells next March at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open! All Tickets & Packages are now on sale, so browse the variety of ticket options and choose your preferred way to see the best stars in the world compete from March 3-17, 2024 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.