But this week, three of the sport's biggest stars traded racquets for clubs. Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz found themselves competing in a different arena entirely: a nearby golf course in Indian Wells. “Yesterday was a fun day on the course. It was Zverev, Alcaraz and myself playing some golf,” Djokovic told Tennis Channel with a smile. For Djokovic, who has conquered nearly every challenge tennis can offer, the golf outing quickly turned into a reminder that elite athletic talent sometimes travels well between sports. “I am OK,” Djokovic said with a grin. I show up and the first hole, the guy [Alcaraz] rips a 300 yard drive, par 5, going for an eagle. And I am like ‘Is there anything you are not good at man, what is going on here'. Zverev confirmed that the Spaniard's long game was no fluke. In fact, he and Alcaraz have been turning the desert into their own friendly golf tour throughout the tournament week. “Me and Carlos played every day almost, actually. Novak joined us two days ago,” Zverev said after his quarter-final victory against Frances Tiafoe. Me and Carlos are very competitive, we're on a similar level. I'm about an 8 [handicap] or something, and he's similar to that. So we get quite competitive matches out of it. Then Novak joined us, as well, which was quite fun.” Alcaraz and Djokovic will turn their attention back to the serious business on Wednesday when they compete in the fourth round at the ATP Masters 1000 event in California. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Alcaraz takes on Casper Ruud, while Djokovic plays defending champion Jack Draper. Seven-time Masters 1000 champion Zverev is into the quarter-finals and plays Arthur Fils on Thursday. Get official marketing communications from the ATP and WTA! No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc..

2 to two tiebreaks in their first meeting on Court One.ByTENNIS.comPublished Mar 11, 2026 copy_link Joao Fonseca walked away from a thriller against No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner feeling encouraged, even though the result didn't go his way Tuesday evening at the BNP Paribas Open.Fonseca's first meeting with Sinner lived up to the hype: In a tightly contested match on a rocking Court One, Sinner edged ahead for a straight-sets victory, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4).Afterward, the world No. While acknowledging that “everyone is different,” Sinner said that playing the Brazilian sometimes felt like playing a version of himself.“He definitely has similar qualities to what I have and what I have evolved in the last years,” Sinner told press after the match. "Read More: Joao Fonseca and the sophomore season Fonseca's first meeting with Sinner lived up to the hype: In a tightly contested match on a rocking Court One, Sinner edged ahead for a straight-sets victory, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4).Afterward, the world No. While acknowledging that “everyone is different,” Sinner said that playing the Brazilian sometimes felt like playing a version of himself.“He definitely has similar qualities to what I have and what I have evolved in the last years,” Sinner told press after the match. "Read More: Joao Fonseca and the sophomore season While acknowledging that “everyone is different,” Sinner said that playing the Brazilian sometimes felt like playing a version of himself.“He definitely has similar qualities to what I have and what I have evolved in the last years,” Sinner told press after the match. "Read More: Joao Fonseca and the sophomore season “He definitely has similar qualities to what I have and what I have evolved in the last years,” Sinner told press after the match. "Read More: Joao Fonseca and the sophomore season Read More: Joao Fonseca and the sophomore season “I do believe every player is different," Sinner added. "He's going through his way of how approaching this sport, and I have mine. It was a really good matchup.”Fonseca has long been tipped for greatness, and after surviving the Brazilian's upset bid, Sinner sounded bullish about his future.“I do believe he's very, very high-quality player,” the Italian concluded. Now I have finally played against him, and I'm very sure he's going to do some great things in the future.” It was a really good matchup.”Fonseca has long been tipped for greatness, and after surviving the Brazilian's upset bid, Sinner sounded bullish about his future.“I do believe he's very, very high-quality player,” the Italian concluded. Now I have finally played against him, and I'm very sure he's going to do some great things in the future.” Fonseca has long been tipped for greatness, and after surviving the Brazilian's upset bid, Sinner sounded bullish about his future.“I do believe he's very, very high-quality player,” the Italian concluded. Now I have finally played against him, and I'm very sure he's going to do some great things in the future.” Now I have finally played against him, and I'm very sure he's going to do some great things in the future.” What's crazier: Fonseca hitting a 120 mph forehand or Sinner dodging it? For his part, Fonseca believes his level is already close—though he knows there is still work to be done if he wants to consistently compete with the sport's elite, including Sinner and world No. I can do some great matches,” Fonseca said.“There is always the little important things that you need to work every day. Those little details are just super important, like when he played the important points and how he deal with it. (He has) a lot of experience, I still need it, but I think the level is still there. Of course far, but I can play against them…“I feel happy the way that I played, because I felt the level was pretty close today.”It was also a learning experience for the 19-year-old, who had his chances during their round-of-16 encounter. Fonseca held a 6-3 lead in the first-set tiebreak before Sinner saved three set points. I can do some great matches,” Fonseca said.“There is always the little important things that you need to work every day. Those little details are just super important, like when he played the important points and how he deal with it. (He has) a lot of experience, I still need it, but I think the level is still there. Of course far, but I can play against them…“I feel happy the way that I played, because I felt the level was pretty close today.”It was also a learning experience for the 19-year-old, who had his chances during their round-of-16 encounter. Fonseca held a 6-3 lead in the first-set tiebreak before Sinner saved three set points. “There is always the little important things that you need to work every day. Those little details are just super important, like when he played the important points and how he deal with it. (He has) a lot of experience, I still need it, but I think the level is still there. Fonseca held a 6-3 lead in the first-set tiebreak before Sinner saved three set points. “I feel happy the way that I played, because I felt the level was pretty close today.”It was also a learning experience for the 19-year-old, who had his chances during their round-of-16 encounter. Fonseca held a 6-3 lead in the first-set tiebreak before Sinner saved three set points. It was also a learning experience for the 19-year-old, who had his chances during their round-of-16 encounter. Fonseca held a 6-3 lead in the first-set tiebreak before Sinner saved three set points. Each time, however, Sinner raised his level in the key moments to escape trouble. Still, there is plenty to look forward to for Fonseca, who focused on the positives after the match.“As a tennis player, when we lose we kind of feel sad or disappointed sometimes, trying to figure out what I did right, what I did wrong. I just try to figure out what I could do better.”Read More: Learner Tien finds “second gear” to save two match points vs. Davidovich Fokina in Indian WellsWith the victory, Sinner moves into the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open, where he is seeking his first title in the California desert.He will face No. “As a tennis player, when we lose we kind of feel sad or disappointed sometimes, trying to figure out what I did right, what I did wrong. I just try to figure out what I could do better.”Read More: Learner Tien finds “second gear” to save two match points vs. Davidovich Fokina in Indian WellsWith the victory, Sinner moves into the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open, where he is seeking his first title in the California desert.He will face No. I just try to figure out what I could do better.”Read More: Learner Tien finds “second gear” to save two match points vs. Davidovich Fokina in Indian WellsWith the victory, Sinner moves into the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open, where he is seeking his first title in the California desert.He will face No. Read More: Learner Tien finds “second gear” to save two match points vs. Davidovich Fokina in Indian WellsWith the victory, Sinner moves into the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open, where he is seeking his first title in the California desert.He will face No.

What started as a highly anticipated fourth-round meeting between Victoria Mboko and Amanda Anisimova quickly turned into a display of dominance by the Canadian, as she defeated Anisimova 6-4, 6-1 in 73 minutes to set up a meeting with Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals. Victoria Mboko has already shown a knack for rising to the occasion in big matches, and she did it again Tuesday night in Indian Wells. In a highly anticipated fourth-round matchup between Top 10 players, Mboko delivered a commanding performance to defeat Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 6-1 in 1 hour and 13 minutes and reach her first Indian Wells quarterfinal. It marks the 19-year-old's third WTA 1000 quarterfinal in just seven appearances and comes with her fifth career Top 10 win -- and her fourth of 2026. “I'm experiencing a lot of things for the first time, so to be out here playing Top 10 players, it's really a privilege,” Mboko said in her on-court interview. Her meeting with Sabalenka will be a rematch of this year's Australian Open fourth round, where Sabalenka won in straight sets to take a 1-0 lead in the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz head-to-head. But first, Mboko had to get by Anisimova, which is no minor feat. By match's end, Mboko had won more than half the points played on Anisimova's serve (35 to 34). Here are a few more telling numbers from the Canadian's clinical performance: This was their first career meeting at the WTA level. 4: Canadians to reach the women's singles quarterfinals at Indian Wells. The teenager finished in single digits thanks to surgeon-like precision on her ball striking. Simply clinical 😤Victoria Mboko moves past Anisimova for a spot in the quarterfinals, 6-4, 6-1.#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/E3YPJ40rQ8 That total puts Mboko second on tour this season, trailing only Elina Svitolina (17). Mboko went 4-for-4 on break chances, including one late in the first set to take a 4-3 lead and another to close out the match at love. She has now converted 40 break points in WTA 1000 events this season, the most on tour. What started as a highly anticipated fourth-round meeting between Victoria Mboko and Amanda Anisimova quickly turned into a display of dominance by the Canadian, as she defeated Anisimova 6-4, 6-1 in 73 minutes to set up a meeting with Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.

Australian's Talia Gibson earned her first top 10 win and advanced to her first WTA quarterfinal, defeating Jasmine Paolini in three sets at the BNP Paribas Open. INDIAN WELLS -- Qualifier Talia Gibson continued her run at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, defeating No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 to reach the first quarterfinal of her career on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. The 21-year-old Australian had already recorded her first two Top 20 wins this week against Clara Tauson and Ekaterina Alexandrova. By beating Paolini, Gibson added her first victory over a Top 10 opponent. Gibson will next face Linda Noskova for a place in the semifinals at Indian Wells. "Yeah, gosh, still haven't processed it all," Gibson said to press. Yeah, honestly, still pretty speechless that I made it this far." Gibson struggled throughout the first game and a half before finding her groove with a mixture of backhand and forehand winners. It was only fitting the Australian hit a backhand winner to close the first set on her service game as Paolini had just nine winners to Gibson's 18 in the opening set. Throughout the first and third sets, Gibson excelled at stretching Paolini wide, forcing low-pace and weak returns that set up winners. Paolini responds in second: Immediately in the second set, it was evident that Paolini wasn't going to go down without a fight. It was only fitting she won the set on a drop shot that caught Gibson off guard, the same way she went up 15-0 in the opening game. She rather spent additional time in her native Australia and won a W75 and reached the semifinals of another, both in Brisbane. The third-set had a first-set feel, but the level and quality of her backhand winners were essentially flawless. Gibson got the early break on Paolini's serve and never looked back. She almost didn't drop a game in the third set -- she had two break point opportunities in the lone game Paolini won -- and closing the match on two more winners felt only fitting for Gibson. "I think my game has continued to develop in a way that has allowed me to go out there, competing at the level that I have been," Gibson said. "I have just been working really hard to keep improving that level and the consistency of that level. Australian's Talia Gibson earned her first top 10 win and advanced to her first WTA quarterfinal, defeating Jasmine Paolini in three sets at the BNP Paribas Open.

If Tuesday's BNP Paribas Open showdown is a preview of what's to come between 24-year-old Jannik Sinner and 19-year-old Joao Fonseca, we may have just witnessed the birth of the next epic rivalry on the ATP Tour. In a 7-6(6), 7-6(4) victory, Sinner saved three set points in the opening-set tie-break and later brushed off his failure to close out the match from 5-2 in the second. The Italian ultimately clinched the win with a late surge in the second-set tie-break, drawing first blood in what promises to be a captivating Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry for years to come. He was serving very well," Sinner said after the narrow victory. I dropped a bit of intensity at the end of the second set but he played incredible tennis out there. The atmosphere has been amazing, so I'm very happy about today's match." With his 97th Masters 1000 win, Sinner broke a tie with Fabio Fognini for most wins by an Italian at that prestigious level. In an opening set of razor-thin margins, a combined three break points went begging before Fonseca snatched control with a powerful burst to lead 5/2 in the tie-break. Perhaps paying for his efforts on that lung-busting point, Fonseca's level briefly dipped to allow Sinner new life at 6/3. 2 ripped a return winner at 6/6 and sealed the set with his fifth consecutive point. Sinner looked on course for a more straightforward second set when he pressured Fonseca into a few errors to lead 4-2 in the second. But after not facing a break point since his opening service game, according to Infosys ATP Stats, he was broken to love when serving at 5-3—part of an inspired run of 12 of 14 points for Fonseca that brought the Brazilians in the crowd to their feet. But Sinner once again delivered in the key moments of set two, winning the final four points of the tie-break and sealing a hard-earned victory with a forehand return winner. Chasing his first Indian Wells title, Sinner will next face 25th seed Learner Tien in Thursday's quarter-finals. The 20-year-old American saved two match points to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina earlier on Tuesday in the desert. Your data will be used in accordance with the ATP Privacy Policy and WTA Privacy Policy. Get official marketing communications from the ATP and WTA! No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc..

The 19-year-old has now won her last three matches in a row against Top 10 players. I'm so happy to be competing at the highest level. "Just keep going.”The 19-year-old, who's currently ranked No. 10, has now won her last three matches in a row against Top 10 players, as well as 15 of her last 18 matches at WTA 1000 events, a stretch that started with her run to the title on home soil in Montreal last summer. I'm so happy to be competing at the highest level. "Just keep going.”The 19-year-old, who's currently ranked No. 10, has now won her last three matches in a row against Top 10 players, as well as 15 of her last 18 matches at WTA 1000 events, a stretch that started with her run to the title on home soil in Montreal last summer. “I'm experiencing a lot of things for the first time,” Mboko said afterwards in her on-court interview. I'm so happy to be competing at the highest level. "Just keep going.”The 19-year-old, who's currently ranked No. 10, has now won her last three matches in a row against Top 10 players, as well as 15 of her last 18 matches at WTA 1000 events, a stretch that started with her run to the title on home soil in Montreal last summer. "Just keep going.”The 19-year-old, who's currently ranked No. 10, has now won her last three matches in a row against Top 10 players, as well as 15 of her last 18 matches at WTA 1000 events, a stretch that started with her run to the title on home soil in Montreal last summer. 10, has now won her last three matches in a row against Top 10 players, as well as 15 of her last 18 matches at WTA 1000 events, a stretch that started with her run to the title on home soil in Montreal last summer. There was little between Anisimova and Mboko early on on Tuesday night, as the two traded holds for the first six games en route to 3-all. But an Mboko backhand that clipped the line—and drew a mis-hit from Anisimova—gave the Canadian the first break of the match for a 4-3 lead in the opening set.That break opened the floodgates, as Mboko would eventually win 10 of the last 12 games of the match to run away with it.And the final match stats told the story, as Mboko finished with twice as many winners as unforced errors, 14 to 7, while Anisimova was in the negatives with 14 winners to 16 miscues.Mboko also converted all four of her break point opportunities in the match, and fought off the only one she faced, while she was serving up a break at 2-1 in the second set—she actually saved it with an ace, then, incredibly, hit another two aces in a row to hold.“I knew Amanda's a really good player, so I feel like I tried to match her pace a little bit and just stay with her as much as I possibly could,” Mboko said. “I'm glad to have gotten it done." That break opened the floodgates, as Mboko would eventually win 10 of the last 12 games of the match to run away with it.And the final match stats told the story, as Mboko finished with twice as many winners as unforced errors, 14 to 7, while Anisimova was in the negatives with 14 winners to 16 miscues.Mboko also converted all four of her break point opportunities in the match, and fought off the only one she faced, while she was serving up a break at 2-1 in the second set—she actually saved it with an ace, then, incredibly, hit another two aces in a row to hold.“I knew Amanda's a really good player, so I feel like I tried to match her pace a little bit and just stay with her as much as I possibly could,” Mboko said. “I'm glad to have gotten it done." And the final match stats told the story, as Mboko finished with twice as many winners as unforced errors, 14 to 7, while Anisimova was in the negatives with 14 winners to 16 miscues.Mboko also converted all four of her break point opportunities in the match, and fought off the only one she faced, while she was serving up a break at 2-1 in the second set—she actually saved it with an ace, then, incredibly, hit another two aces in a row to hold.“I knew Amanda's a really good player, so I feel like I tried to match her pace a little bit and just stay with her as much as I possibly could,” Mboko said. Mboko also converted all four of her break point opportunities in the match, and fought off the only one she faced, while she was serving up a break at 2-1 in the second set—she actually saved it with an ace, then, incredibly, hit another two aces in a row to hold.“I knew Amanda's a really good player, so I feel like I tried to match her pace a little bit and just stay with her as much as I possibly could,” Mboko said. Mboko's winning streak against Top 10 players includes two wins en route to the final in Doha a few weeks ago, against Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina, and now Anisimova in Indian Wells.Awaiting the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, who advanced to the final eight earlier in the day with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Naomi Osaka.Sabalenka won the pair's only previous meeting in the fourth round of this year's Australian Open, but it was getting exciting—Sabalenka originally led by a set and a double break at 6-1, 4-1 but ended up having to close it out in a second set tie-break, 6-1, 7-6 (1), after an inspired fightback from the Canadian. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, who advanced to the final eight earlier in the day with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Naomi Osaka.Sabalenka won the pair's only previous meeting in the fourth round of this year's Australian Open, but it was getting exciting—Sabalenka originally led by a set and a double break at 6-1, 4-1 but ended up having to close it out in a second set tie-break, 6-1, 7-6 (1), after an inspired fightback from the Canadian. Sabalenka won the pair's only previous meeting in the fourth round of this year's Australian Open, but it was getting exciting—Sabalenka originally led by a set and a double break at 6-1, 4-1 but ended up having to close it out in a second set tie-break, 6-1, 7-6 (1), after an inspired fightback from the Canadian.

Learner Tien had to battle from behind for the majority of his fourth round at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open, rallying from a set down and saving two match points to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4).The win makes him the youngest U.S. man to make an Indian Wells quarterfinal since none other than his coach Michael Chang in 1992—the year he went on to win the title.Tien lost his previous match against the Spaniard last summer at the Mubadala Citi DC Open—also on hard courts—and revealed a combination of physical and mental fatigue contributed to his slow start.Speaking after the match, the 20-year-old discussed the importance of “hanging around” long enough to find that crucial “second gear”: Is there something that just happens, you get a feeling, Okay, I'm rolling now, or is there something you can actively do to provoke that?LEARNER TIEN: I mean, if it was something that I was always able to flip a switch, I wouldn't have come out maybe so flat. But I think just trying to hang around and give myself a shot, give myself time to maybe find that second gear, I think is always important.I mean, if you're down a set and double break, by the time you kind of find yourself, I mean, it won't really make a difference.So I think I just did a good job of hanging around. Don't really know what it was today. I feel like just mentally I was in and out, spacing out a little bit, didn't really feel, like, fully there during the match.Just felt like, for the first half of the match, I felt just a little down energy-wise, and my thoughts were just kind of everywhere.Don't know how I really managed to get it together, but happy I did But I think just trying to hang around and give myself a shot, give myself time to maybe find that second gear, I think is always important.I mean, if you're down a set and double break, by the time you kind of find yourself, I mean, it won't really make a difference.So I think I just did a good job of hanging around. Don't really know what it was today. I feel like just mentally I was in and out, spacing out a little bit, didn't really feel, like, fully there during the match.Just felt like, for the first half of the match, I felt just a little down energy-wise, and my thoughts were just kind of everywhere.Don't know how I really managed to get it together, but happy I did Don't really know what it was today. I feel like just mentally I was in and out, spacing out a little bit, didn't really feel, like, fully there during the match.Just felt like, for the first half of the match, I felt just a little down energy-wise, and my thoughts were just kind of everywhere.Don't know how I really managed to get it together, but happy I did I feel like just mentally I was in and out, spacing out a little bit, didn't really feel, like, fully there during the match.Just felt like, for the first half of the match, I felt just a little down energy-wise, and my thoughts were just kind of everywhere.Don't know how I really managed to get it together, but happy I did Just felt like, for the first half of the match, I felt just a little down energy-wise, and my thoughts were just kind of everywhere.Don't know how I really managed to get it together, but happy I did Into his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal, he guarantees another popcorn match as he awaits the winner of the Round of 16 clash between No.

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It wasn't easy but Carlos Alcaraz continued his flawless start to the season on Monday night, battling back from a set and a break down to beat Arthur Rinderknech in the third round of Indian Wells, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-2, and improve to 14-0 in 2026.That record includes seven wins en route to the Australian Open title (and completing the Career Slam), five wins en route to the title in Doha and now two wins at Indian Wells.The Spaniard's latest victory gives him another nifty stat, too—he's now won an incredible 70 of his last 75 matches on the tour, a stretch that dates back to the start of last April.His only five losses in the last 11 months have come to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final (on clay), Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final (on grass) and Taylor Fritz at Laver Cup, Cam Norrie in his first match in Paris and Sinner again in the ATP Finals final (all on indoor hard courts at the end of last year).He's undefeated on outdoor hard courts in that span, going 32-0 since falling to David Goffin in Miami last year. That record includes seven wins en route to the Australian Open title (and completing the Career Slam), five wins en route to the title in Doha and now two wins at Indian Wells.The Spaniard's latest victory gives him another nifty stat, too—he's now won an incredible 70 of his last 75 matches on the tour, a stretch that dates back to the start of last April.His only five losses in the last 11 months have come to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final (on clay), Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final (on grass) and Taylor Fritz at Laver Cup, Cam Norrie in his first match in Paris and Sinner again in the ATP Finals final (all on indoor hard courts at the end of last year).He's undefeated on outdoor hard courts in that span, going 32-0 since falling to David Goffin in Miami last year. The Spaniard's latest victory gives him another nifty stat, too—he's now won an incredible 70 of his last 75 matches on the tour, a stretch that dates back to the start of last April.His only five losses in the last 11 months have come to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final (on clay), Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final (on grass) and Taylor Fritz at Laver Cup, Cam Norrie in his first match in Paris and Sinner again in the ATP Finals final (all on indoor hard courts at the end of last year).He's undefeated on outdoor hard courts in that span, going 32-0 since falling to David Goffin in Miami last year. He's undefeated on outdoor hard courts in that span, going 32-0 since falling to David Goffin in Miami last year. For the first 70 minutes on Monday, Alcaraz had his hands full.He had chances in the first set, bringing up double break point in Rinderknech's 3-all service game, and then storming back from 5-2 down to hold a set point up 6-5 in the tie-break—but he mis-hit a forehand to make it 6-all, and Rinderknech snuck out the 63-minute opening frame a few points later.Then, things looked even dodgier for Alcaraz, as Rinderknech broke serve for a 1-0 lead at the start of the second set—but the Spaniard broke right back in the next game to make it 1-all and was never behind again, winning 12 of the last 16 games of the match to run away with it in the end.He closed it out on his first match point with a huge inside-in forehand winner, his 22nd forehand winner of the night.“He was playing his best tennis, I would say, in the first set and beginning of the second,” Alcaraz said afterwards.“For me it was really, really difficult—I got in trouble, to be honest. Accepted, kept going, stayed strong mentally and tried to do things a little bit differently. He had chances in the first set, bringing up double break point in Rinderknech's 3-all service game, and then storming back from 5-2 down to hold a set point up 6-5 in the tie-break—but he mis-hit a forehand to make it 6-all, and Rinderknech snuck out the 63-minute opening frame a few points later.Then, things looked even dodgier for Alcaraz, as Rinderknech broke serve for a 1-0 lead at the start of the second set—but the Spaniard broke right back in the next game to make it 1-all and was never behind again, winning 12 of the last 16 games of the match to run away with it in the end.He closed it out on his first match point with a huge inside-in forehand winner, his 22nd forehand winner of the night.“He was playing his best tennis, I would say, in the first set and beginning of the second,” Alcaraz said afterwards.“For me it was really, really difficult—I got in trouble, to be honest. Accepted, kept going, stayed strong mentally and tried to do things a little bit differently. Then, things looked even dodgier for Alcaraz, as Rinderknech broke serve for a 1-0 lead at the start of the second set—but the Spaniard broke right back in the next game to make it 1-all and was never behind again, winning 12 of the last 16 games of the match to run away with it in the end.He closed it out on his first match point with a huge inside-in forehand winner, his 22nd forehand winner of the night.“He was playing his best tennis, I would say, in the first set and beginning of the second,” Alcaraz said afterwards.“For me it was really, really difficult—I got in trouble, to be honest. Accepted, kept going, stayed strong mentally and tried to do things a little bit differently. He closed it out on his first match point with a huge inside-in forehand winner, his 22nd forehand winner of the night.“He was playing his best tennis, I would say, in the first set and beginning of the second,” Alcaraz said afterwards.“For me it was really, really difficult—I got in trouble, to be honest. Accepted, kept going, stayed strong mentally and tried to do things a little bit differently. “He was playing his best tennis, I would say, in the first set and beginning of the second,” Alcaraz said afterwards.“For me it was really, really difficult—I got in trouble, to be honest. Accepted, kept going, stayed strong mentally and tried to do things a little bit differently. Accepted, kept going, stayed strong mentally and tried to do things a little bit differently. 1-seeded Alcaraz in the fourth round on Wednesday will be No. 13-seeded Casper Ruud, who also battled back from a set down to win his third-round match against No. 24-seeded Valentin Vacherot, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.Alcaraz leads Ruud in their head-to-head, 5-1, which includes 4-0 on outdoor hard courts. Alcaraz leads Ruud in their head-to-head, 5-1, which includes 4-0 on outdoor hard courts.

Plus, Carlos Alcaraz faces Casper Ruud and Novak Djokovic takes on defending champ Jack Draper at the BNP Paribas Open.BySteve TignorPublished Mar 11, 2026 copy_link "“Woman's Roger” has been living up to that lofty nickname of late. Muchova is coming off a title run at the 1000 in Doha last month, and is riding an eight-match win streak. Swiatek is 4-1 against Muchova, and hasn't lost to her since 2019. When they played in this round at Indian Wells a year ago, she won 6-1, 6-1.Read More: Iga Swiatek begins her milestone 250th career week in the Top 10 of the WTA rankingsJust don't tell Swiatek it's going to be that easy on Wednesday.“The head-to-head might be to my side, but I can remember all these matches I played against her, sometimes I was down, like, break in third,” Swiatek says. “She's an amazing player, and most of the times we played really tight matches.”One of them happened in the 2023 Roland Garros final, which Swiatek won 6-4 in the third. "“Woman's Roger” has been living up to that lofty nickname of late. Muchova is coming off a title run at the 1000 in Doha last month, and is riding an eight-match win streak. Swiatek is 4-1 against Muchova, and hasn't lost to her since 2019. When they played in this round at Indian Wells a year ago, she won 6-1, 6-1.Read More: Iga Swiatek begins her milestone 250th career week in the Top 10 of the WTA rankingsJust don't tell Swiatek it's going to be that easy on Wednesday.“The head-to-head might be to my side, but I can remember all these matches I played against her, sometimes I was down, like, break in third,” Swiatek says. “Woman's Roger” has been living up to that lofty nickname of late. Muchova is coming off a title run at the 1000 in Doha last month, and is riding an eight-match win streak. Swiatek is 4-1 against Muchova, and hasn't lost to her since 2019. When they played in this round at Indian Wells a year ago, she won 6-1, 6-1.Read More: Iga Swiatek begins her milestone 250th career week in the Top 10 of the WTA rankingsJust don't tell Swiatek it's going to be that easy on Wednesday.“The head-to-head might be to my side, but I can remember all these matches I played against her, sometimes I was down, like, break in third,” Swiatek says. Read More: Iga Swiatek begins her milestone 250th career week in the Top 10 of the WTA rankingsJust don't tell Swiatek it's going to be that easy on Wednesday.“The head-to-head might be to my side, but I can remember all these matches I played against her, sometimes I was down, like, break in third,” Swiatek says. Just don't tell Swiatek it's going to be that easy on Wednesday.“The head-to-head might be to my side, but I can remember all these matches I played against her, sometimes I was down, like, break in third,” Swiatek says. This feels like it could be just as close. When Muchova has everything clicking, as she does now, she's a Top 5 talent with the capability of beating anyone on any surface. The medium-slow courts in Indian Wells would seem to be her liking, and give her chances to do what she loves best: Send a ground stroke into a corner and close the net behind it. That's how she has had success against Iga in the past.So far this year, Swiatek hasn't been as sharp as Muchova. After losing to Maria Sakkari in Doha, she skipped Dubai, went to work on her footwork and preparation, and got revenge on Sakkari, 6-3, 6-2 on Monday.Still, this seems like a chance to pick Muchova to get a win over Swiatek, so I'll take it. After losing to Maria Sakkari in Doha, she skipped Dubai, went to work on her footwork and preparation, and got revenge on Sakkari, 6-3, 6-2 on Monday.Still, this seems like a chance to pick Muchova to get a win over Swiatek, so I'll take it. Still, this seems like a chance to pick Muchova to get a win over Swiatek, so I'll take it. Will Ruud raise his game to Maestro-like levels on Wednesday? Alcaraz is probably betting on it.“I just sometimes get tired of\] [playing Roger Federer every round,” Alcaraz said after coming from a set down to beat Arthur Rinderknech on Monday. “Sometimes just feel like, yeah, they're playing really an insane level.”This is a downside of being No. Serena Williams got tired of it, and now Alcaraz has, too.“All can I do is just accept it, keep going, trying to, like, do different things in the match,” he said.Read More: Why Carlos Alcaraz is tired of playing "Roger Federer" during latest winning streak “I just sometimes get tired of\] [playing Roger Federer every round,” Alcaraz said after coming from a set down to beat Arthur Rinderknech on Monday. “Sometimes just feel like, yeah, they're playing really an insane level.”This is a downside of being No. Serena Williams got tired of it, and now Alcaraz has, too.“All can I do is just accept it, keep going, trying to, like, do different things in the match,” he said.Read More: Why Carlos Alcaraz is tired of playing "Roger Federer" during latest winning streak Serena Williams got tired of it, and now Alcaraz has, too.“All can I do is just accept it, keep going, trying to, like, do different things in the match,” he said.Read More: Why Carlos Alcaraz is tired of playing "Roger Federer" during latest winning streak “All can I do is just accept it, keep going, trying to, like, do different things in the match,” he said.Read More: Why Carlos Alcaraz is tired of playing "Roger Federer" during latest winning streak Read More: Why Carlos Alcaraz is tired of playing "Roger Federer" during latest winning streak Is Ruud the next man to turn into Roger against Carlitos? Ruud's typical level is better than Rinderknech's, so a competitive match wouldn't come as a surprise to the Spaniard. If Ruud starts zoning, it may not be quite as irritating to Alcaraz.Ruud's 2026 hasn't been much to write home about, but he did grit his way through a three-setter in his last match, vs. Valentin Vacherot. Ruud also has a forehand that is at least in the same ballpark as Alcaraz's, something very few other humans can say.Maybe most important, Rinderknech showed that Alcaraz isn't just going to mow down everyone he faces in 2026. But that doesn't mean he's ready to lose just yet, either. Ruud's 2026 hasn't been much to write home about, but he did grit his way through a three-setter in his last match, vs. Valentin Vacherot. Ruud also has a forehand that is at least in the same ballpark as Alcaraz's, something very few other humans can say.Maybe most important, Rinderknech showed that Alcaraz isn't just going to mow down everyone he faces in 2026. But that doesn't mean he's ready to lose just yet, either. Maybe most important, Rinderknech showed that Alcaraz isn't just going to mow down everyone he faces in 2026. But that doesn't mean he's ready to lose just yet, either. The Serb, meanwhile, hasn't made it this far in Indian Wells since 2017. But here they are, in what feels like a bonus marquee matchup.It's also a matchup we haven't seen enough of. They haven't played since 2021, when Djokovic sent a very young Draper packing in the first round at Wimbledon. Still, Draper showed something that day, winning a set before Djokovic settled in and ran away with the last three. It's also a matchup we haven't seen enough of. They haven't played since 2021, when Djokovic sent a very young Draper packing in the first round at Wimbledon. Still, Draper showed something that day, winning a set before Djokovic settled in and ran away with the last three. Djokovic seemed a little uncertain about making the trip to Indian Wells; he didn't commit until the last minute. And it almost was: Each of his first two matches has gone the distance. Now that he's established himself at the event again, maybe his investment in it will increase; he is a five-time champ at Indian Wells, after all.Just as important, his opponent may not be ready to fully invest, or believe, just yet.“I'm going to have to play really well and take my chances,” Draper says of facing Djokovic. Just as important, his opponent may not be ready to fully invest, or believe, just yet.“I'm going to have to play really well and take my chances,” Draper says of facing Djokovic. I'm not sure that sounds like someone who thinks he's ready to beat Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard had jokes after escaping a tough Indian Wells match against Arthur Rinderknech.ByTENNIS.comPublished Mar 10, 2026 copy_link 1 stretched his unbeaten run to start 2026 to 14 straight matches with a comeback win over France's Arthur Rinderknech on Monday night in Indian Wells, where he rallied from a set and a break deficit.Afterwards, the Spaniard joked that players are finding their best form against him "all the time," making him feel like the 20-time Grand Slam singles champion is the man on the other side of the net.Read more: Novak Djokovic talks Indian Wells golf outing with Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev 1 stretched his unbeaten run to start 2026 to 14 straight matches with a comeback win over France's Arthur Rinderknech on Monday night in Indian Wells, where he rallied from a set and a break deficit.Afterwards, the Spaniard joked that players are finding their best form against him "all the time," making him feel like the 20-time Grand Slam singles champion is the man on the other side of the net.Read more: Novak Djokovic talks Indian Wells golf outing with Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev 1 stretched his unbeaten run to start 2026 to 14 straight matches with a comeback win over France's Arthur Rinderknech on Monday night in Indian Wells, where he rallied from a set and a break deficit.Afterwards, the Spaniard joked that players are finding their best form against him "all the time," making him feel like the 20-time Grand Slam singles champion is the man on the other side of the net.Read more: Novak Djokovic talks Indian Wells golf outing with Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev Read more: Novak Djokovic talks Indian Wells golf outing with Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev But obviously, the first thing is just accept it.”Alcaraz is bidding to win a third career title in Tennis Paradise, having won consecutive trophies in 2023 and 2024. And with his blistering start to the season, comparisons have naturally been made to Novak Djokovic's world-beating 43-match winning streak from 2010-11—the fifth-longest in the Open Era.While Alcaraz says he "feel[s] like [he] have a target on [his] back" that would see an in-form opponent derail that bid, the Serb himself thinks that the Spaniard can match it. But obviously, the first thing is just accept it.”Alcaraz is bidding to win a third career title in Tennis Paradise, having won consecutive trophies in 2023 and 2024. And with his blistering start to the season, comparisons have naturally been made to Novak Djokovic's world-beating 43-match winning streak from 2010-11—the fifth-longest in the Open Era.While Alcaraz says he "feel[s] like [he] have a target on [his] back" that would see an in-form opponent derail that bid, the Serb himself thinks that the Spaniard can match it. And with his blistering start to the season, comparisons have naturally been made to Novak Djokovic's world-beating 43-match winning streak from 2010-11—the fifth-longest in the Open Era.While Alcaraz says he "feel[s] like [he] have a target on [his] back" that would see an in-form opponent derail that bid, the Serb himself thinks that the Spaniard can match it. “He has everything that you need to have in terms of the game, in terms of the adaptability to different surfaces, and level of fitness and recovery that he has shown and matured over the years," Djokovic said.“He needs to keep his body healthy. He's been doing some historic things in our sport for such a young age.” He's been doing some historic things in our sport for such a young age.” He's been doing some historic things in our sport for such a young age.”