With a loaded draw, including every player in the Top 35 of the PIF WTA Rankings, the first week of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells did not disappoint.
As the 96-player draw got whittled down to 16, fans were treated to a host of tremendous three-set thrillers, some notable upsets and the returns of some of the top players on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.
Here are the highlights from the first week in Tennis Paradise.
Star of the Week
Aryna Sabalenka
There are many contenders for star of the first week, but we're going with Aryna Sabalenka.
Forget career -- the World No. 1 had one of the most memorable weeks of her life. She announced her engagement, introduced her new puppy and returned to the court for the first time in more than a month after missing the Middle East swing. She didn't miss a beat, routinely beating Himeno Sakatsume and Jaqueline Cristian to reach the fourth round.
Breakthrough of the Week
Talia Gibson
Coming into this tournament ranked No. 112 in the PIF WTA Rankings, Talia Gibson won two qualifying matches before upsetting Ann Li, 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova (more on that below) and 17th seed Clara Tauson to reach the fourth round. The wins over Alexandrova and Tauson were the first two Top 20 wins of her career.
Match of the Week
Katerina Siniakova d. Leylah Fernandez, second round
This match was a true epic. After 3 hours and 28 minutes, Katerina Siniakova finally prevailed 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (1).
To illustrate what a battle this was, consider these numbers from the match: 268 points played, 208 minutes on court and 37 break-point chances between both players.
Comeback of the Week
Camila Osorio d. Iva Jovic, second round
After dropping the first set to 18th-seeded Iva Jovic, Camila Osorio had one of the escapes of the year in the second. She came from a break down twice and saved three match points, ultimately taking the second set in a tiebreaker. She then won the third set 6-3 to pull off the stunning upset.
Shot of the Week
Himeno Sakatsume's unbelievable court coverage
Haven't seen Sakatsume play much? It's time to start paying attention.
Case in point: This unbelievable sequence against Sabalenka in the second round. At deuce, down 3-1 in the second set, the Japanese qualifier sprinted from one end of the court to the other, somehow retrieving the World No. 1's heaviest blows. When Sabalenka mixed things up with a lob volley, Sakatsume ran it down and, at full stretch, responded with a one-handed crosscourt lob. Sabalenka got to it and countered with a backhand into the middle of the court, which Sakatsume put away with the volley.
Just tremendous.
Upset of the Week
Talia Gibson d. Ekaterina Alexandrova, Indian Wells second round
Gibson (No. 112) was ranked 101 spots lower than Alexandrova (No. 11) in the PIF WTA Rankings when she pulled off this upset, the first Top 20 win of her career. And she won it handily, 6-3, 7-5.
Dominant Performance of the Week
Mirra Andreeva d. Solana Sierra, second round
Mirra Andreeva blasted past Solana Sierra 6-0, 6-0 in a mere 50 minutes. She won 81 percent of her second serves and converted six of nine break points in the clinical win. It was the first 6-0, 6-0 win in women's singles at Indian Wells in a decade. (In 2016, Victoria Azarenka beat Magdalena Rybarikova 6-0, 6-0.)
Stat of the Week
100 wins
The 6-0, 6-0 win was notable because it was the 100th main-draw win of the 18-year-old's career. The World No. 8 became the youngest player to reach that milestone since Coco Gauff, who hit the century mark at the 2023 Australian Open.
Social Moment of the Week
She got her ring!
This was initially going to be Sabalenka debuting her new dog, but then she outdid herself by posting a video of her boyfriend -- now fiancé -- Georgios Frangulis getting down on one knee and proposing. The magical moment took place in front of a pool covered in white rose petals, surrounded by an elaborate floral display. And at the end of the video, we got a look at the World No. 1's spectacular ring.
Feel-Good Moment of the Week
Alexandra Eala says thank you
After her win over Gauff, in which the World No. 4 was forced to retire mid-match with a left arm injury, Alexandra Eala wished the crowd a happy International Women's Day. She then paid tribute to Gauff, her mom -- who was cheering her on from the stands -- mothers everywhere and "all the incredible women who have paved the way, who have advocated for themselves and for other women."