Queen of the Desert: Selfie Superstar LaWanda returns to Indian Wells
The BNP Paribas Open’s most beloved superfan enjoyed a busy first day on the grounds, nabbing photos with everyone from Iga Swiatek to Coco Gauff and Daniil Medvedev.
TENNIS CHANNEL LIVE: Looking back at the 2022 BNP Paribas Open final.
For most of tennis’ elite, the BNP Paribas Open doesn’t begin until they get their annual selfie with superfan LaWanda Watts.
Watts, or @LaWanda50 as she is known on Twitter, has become a fixture at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for her bright smile and prolific camera roll, making her “the most coveted photo” in Tennis Paradise, according to former US Open champ Marin Cilic.
LaWanda touched down on the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Monday and has already made a major dent in her selfie haul, starting off strong with two-time winner Victoria Azarenka and 2022 runner-up Maria Sakkari:
From newer faces like Yibing Wu and Jack Draper, LaWanda got a pair of photos with American hotshot Coco Gauff, who called Watts a “legend” when they got their selfie last spring.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek stopped by later in the day, and Daniil Medvedev evidently made a quick turnaround from winning the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
LaWanda was waiting:
A fruitful first day ended with one more Grand Slam champion as Australian Open victor Aryna Sabalenka stopped by the greens:
With many selfies quickly going viral, the queue of outstanding players will likely be even longer tomorrow so they can pick up their favorite souvenir.