After a year that has been underlined by injuries to top-10 players, the world turns its focus to the California desert. Since the end of January, many of the familiar contenders have escaped the spotlight after a grueling Australian hard-court swing. This has meant that a number of young rising talents as well as older stars on the comeback trail have dominated the tennis discussion.

Leading into the first Masters 1000 tournament at Indian Wells, Tennis View columnist Matt Tewhatu shares his tips on key players to watch—and a few players who may not meet expectations in the desert.

Hot hands to watch:

Stanislas Wawrinka

The accolades have been piling up for the world No. 3 after he won his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.  Wawrinka will head to Indian Wells in the best form of his life. Undefeated in 2014, he will hit the desert with full confidence and will look to continue his amazing streak. While his place in this section may be a given considering his form in 2014, Wawrinka hasn’t performed particularly well at Indian Wells, failing to pass the quarterfinal stage. It will be over a month since he last took the court in a Swiss Davis Cup tie.  While Wawrinka might not win the tournament, he will be disappointed with anything short of a semifinal appearance.

John Isner

After suffering a somewhat interrupted 2014 so far, it’s fair to say that Isner has had a successful come back from the foot injury that saw him miss the entire Australian Open. Reaching the semifinal at Delray Beach, he found the same type of form that saw him win the Auckland title in January. With his penchant for performing well on home soil as well as this good form, a fresh Isner may cause one or two upsets at the tournament. He has shown that he enjoys the desert, reaching the final at Indian Wells in 2012, and he has the potential to emulate that performance.

Rhyne Williams

After he tested Juan Martin del Potro in the first Grand Slam of the year, the stocks are rising quickly for a player who is grasping every opportunity that he’s been given in 2014. Williams defeated Alejandro Falla and Marcos Baghdatis on his way to the quarterfinal at Delray Beach after a quarterfinal appearance in the strong field of the Dallas Challenger event. Considering how well he matched up with del Potro in Melbourne, he has the power and the precision to compete with the world’s best. If the speeds of the Indian Wells court are consistent with previous years, they will not especially suit Williams’ game.  But the durability and the patience he has shown this year may lead to some good results for the 22-year-old American at a tournament known for surprises.

Less hot than we think?

Rafael Nadal

It isn’t often that the world No. 1 would be placed in this section after winning his previous tournament and notching a 4,000 -point ranking lead over his nearest rival.  But Nadal will head to the desert in a questionable state.  After recovering from the back injury that devastatingly ended his bid for an Australian Open title, he nearly fell to Pablo Andujar in Rio on his favored clay.  Nadal typically has performed well at Indian Wells, but there are a number of form and fitness clouds hanging over the world No. 1, and the highest-ranked player he beat in Rio was ranked No. 40. Not only will he face a much tougher field in Indian Wells, but the transition back to hard courts will test Nadal’s fitness.

Marin Cilic

Cilic has shown irresistible form on his comeback from a lengthy layoff. Winning his 12th title last week in Delray Beach, Cilic has played the type of tennis that saw him rise to world No. 9 in 2010.  In February, he has shown the form to cause a few upsets against the high seeds. However, Cilic has performed relatively poorly at Indian Wells, and his desire to climb back up the rankings after his suspension has caused him to stuff his tournament schedule recently. This will mean that he may be relatively fatigued heading into the desert, so he may not be able to extend his fine run of form against this elite field.

Kevin Anderson

After running into a red-hot Tomas Berdych in Melbourne, Kevin Anderson hit a purple patch at Delray Beach.  He reached the final there before losing to Croatia’s Marin Cilic. While the court speed suited Anderson’s game, which is largely based around his powerful serve, the South African showed enough in Florida to suggest he may catch a few high seeds off guard. Or did he?  The highest-ranked player whom he defeated at Delray Beach was ranked outside the top 50. Heading into the tournament unseeded, Anderson should face a higher-ranked opponent within a round or two.