In the illustrious annals of Indian Wells history, 11 men have etched their names in the sands of the desert with multiple titles since the event’s inception in 1974. The pinnacle of greatness, however, belongs to two titans of the sport, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, each amassing an awe-inspiring five victories.
Roscoe Tanner signs off the list of multi-title winners, claiming consecutive victories in 1978 and 1979. The former world No. 4 initially overcame Raul Ramirez before sealing his second title against compatriot and one-time champion Brian Gottfried.
Boris Becker followed Tanner’s lead, securing back-to-back Indian Wells titles in 1987 and 1988. The German stalwart triumphed over his fierce adversary Stefan Edberg in a straight-set victory in 1987, followed by a four-set conquest of Emilio Sanchez a year later.
Jim Courier, one of the shining stars of American tennis in the early 90s, boasts two Indian Wells titles to his name, won in 1991 and 1993. The former world No. 1 first outlasted Guy Forget in a gripping five-set encounter and later recaptured his crown by dispatching Wayne Ferreira in straight sets.
Unsurprisingly, the legend of the 1990s, Pete Sampras, twice reigned supreme at the renowned Masters 1000 event, cheered on by his home crowd. Sampras first overcame Petr Korda in 1994 and successfully defended his title a year later by defeating his prime adversary Andre Agassi.
Lleyton Hewitt, former world No. 1, holds the distinction of being the last Australian male to triumph at the tournament. Thanks to his consecutive victories in 2002 and 2003, Hewitt first breezed past Tim Henman and followed it up with a comfortable win over Gustavo Kuerten.
The reigning champion, Carlos Alcaraz, will aim to ascend the all-time Indian Wells standings with a third triumph this fortnight. The Spaniard already has two titles under his belt, defeating Daniil Medvedev in both the 2023 and 2024 finals.
American legend Jimmy Connors, the first from his nation to conquer the event, is one of the most triumphant Indian Wells winners with three titles. Connors first ousted future champion Tanner in 1976, overcame Ivan Lendl in 1981, and completed his hat-trick against Yannick Noah in the 1984 final.
Michael Chang, despite being often eclipsed by his American contemporaries, managed to clinch three Indian Wells titles, a feat surpassed only by two players globally. The former world No. 2 first vanquished Andrei Chesnokov in 1992 and subsequently achieved back-to-back victories against Paul Haarhuis and Bohdan Ulihrach in 1996 and 1997, respectively.
Rafael Nadal, the Spanish maestro, captured the Indian Wells title three times, making it one of his most prosperous hard-court tournaments. Nadal first overcame Djokovic in 2007, regained his title by defeating Andy Murray two years later, and clinched his third trophy against Juan Martin del Potro in 2013.
Novak Djokovic, despite not securing the title since 2016, is among only two men to hold a staggering five titles at the tournament. The Serbian first outplayed Mardy Fish in 2008, then rallied from a set down to oust Nadal in 2011. Djokovic then went on to win three consecutive titles from 2014 to 2016, beating Federer in 2014 and 2015 and Milos Raonic in 2016.
Mirroring Djokovic’s record, Roger Federer also boasts five titles, marking his presence in a record nine finals at the esteemed Masters 1000 event. Federer’s first three titles were consecutive, defeating Henman in 2004, Hewitt in 2005, and James Blake in 2006. After a hiatus of six years, he reclaimed his title in 2012 by defeating John Isner and earned his fifth and final trophy against compatriot Stan Wawrinka in 2017.