Indian Wells is a major stop on the women's tour and the draw won't be short on star power. One player that has been injured for the 2017 season thus far is a key American player, Madison Keys. The current World No. 9 has not contested a match yet this season, having last competed on tour way back in October in Singapore. However, she has been at the Indian Wells' tennis grounds lately and is expected in the 2017 draw where she'll be looking to improve on her round-of-64 exit last season to Nicole Gibbs.

Keys to make return from surgery

Keys had surgery shortly after the 2016 season and her recovery time has been lengthy.

That surgery was the stated reason for her missing the 2017 Australian Open, news that first went public in late December. The American has remained in the top ten on tour despite the missed time. She enters this week as the World No. 9 with some big ranking-point defenses coming up in the months ahead, particularly in Rome where she made the final last season.

Keys was spotted on Sunday in Indian Wells, an inland city in southern California. The verified Twitter account for the BNP Paribas Open tweeted about Keys on the practice courts with her former World No. 1 coach: "Madison Keys had Lindsay Davenport by her side Sunday, while Agnieszka Radwanska practiced, too."

Radwanska needs a big tournament

Radwanska herself has not been injured so far this season.

However, she has not enjoyed much success on the women's tour either, despite playing. In particular she fell very early in the Australian Open, she's suffered some other bad losses since that time, and her ranking has fallen a little. She enters this week as the World No. 6 with a possible ranking slide imminent if she does not do well in California.

Last year the Polish player made the semifinals in Indian Wells before losing to Serena Williams. If Radwanska suffers an early defeat she stands to lose nearly 400 ranking points, a result that could send her falling down the top ten a little further.

The draw for the BNP Paribas Open will be available this week.

The most notable absences will be Victoria Azarenka (maternity leave), Petra Kvitova (knife-attack injuries), and Maria Sharapova (suspended). Alize Cornet of France will also miss the event according to a recent tweet.
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