Qinwen Zheng defeated Victoria Azarenka 6–3, 6–4 in the first round of the WTA Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells on hard court on 8 March 2025. As the pre-match favourite with odds of 1.52, Zheng delivered an expected result against Azarenka, who entered as the underdog at 2.69. The Chinese player's controlled performance across both sets established her dominance early and maintained it through to victory. Zheng's win keeps her progression through the draw on track at one of the tour's most prestigious events.