Tennis News

Alcaraz: The key to the good level I have been playing is…

Carlos Alcaraz, who is the top seed at the BNP Paribas Open, believes the key to his perfect 12-0 start in 2026 does not have to do with forehands and backhands.

“I think on the court I control my emotions even better. I would say that was the key of the good level of tennis that I have been playing lately,” Alcaraz said during his pre-tournament press conference. “Because on the court, I just control myself, and in a calm place I can find the solutions.”

The Spaniard completed his Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open and maintained his momentum with a run to the Doha title. The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is channeling his mindset into wins early in the season.

“When I was getting mad or when I was playing bad or whatever, I just found the right way again, because I was calm,” Alcaraz said. “I was controlling myself and controlling my emotions and I was maintaining my good focus. I would say I was doing that even better than before.”

Alcaraz now is at a happy hunting ground at Indian Wells, where he owns a 20-3 record according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The 22-year-old claimed glory in the California desert in 2023 and 2024.

For the first time, Alcaraz arrives at Indian Wells undefeated. The top seed is full of confidence leading into the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event.

“I just [am] really proud about my start of the year,” Alcaraz said. “Hopefully the winning streak continues or I would try that, but I’m just happy to see myself playing great tennis.”

Alcaraz will begin his pursuit of his third Indian Wells title against former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov or surging French lefty Terence Atmane.

“It’s been going really great, to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “Feeling a little bit different compared to other years, but [I have had a] couple good practices. [I am] back and ready, so it’s been good and I’m excited to begin.”

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What is the Indian Wells tennis schedule?

Opening day of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open features a star-studded lineup with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov, Marin Cilic, #NextGenATP star Joao Fonseca and more in first-round action on Wednesday.

Reilly Opelka will play fellow American Ethan Quinn in the first afternoon-session match on Stadium 1. Tsitsipas, the 2021 quarter-finalist, will face Shapovalov in the final evening-session match on Stadium 1.

Cilic will square off against wild card Zachary Svajda on Stadium 2, while Fonseca will take on Raphael Collignon on Stadium 3.

View the full Indian Wells Wednesday order of play below.

ORDER OF PLAY – WEDNESDAY, 04 MARCH 2026

Stadium 1 – start 11 a.m.
WTA – Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) vs Paula Badosa (ESP)

Not Before 1 p.m.
ATP – Reilly Opelka (USA) vs Ethan Quinn (USA)
ATP – Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs Adrian Mannarino (FRA)

Not Before 6 p.m.
WTA – Bianca Andreescu (CAN) vs Kamilla Rakhimova (UZB)
ATP – Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs Denis Shapovalov (CAN)

Stadium 2 – start 11 a.m.
ATP – Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) vs [WC] Martin Damm (USA)
WTA – Zeynep Sonmez (TUR) vs McCartney Kessler (USA)
WTA – Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (AND) vs Caty McNally (USA)

Not Before 6 p.m.
ATP – [WC] Zachary Svajda (USA) vs Marin Cilic (CRO)
WTA – Sloane Stephens (USA) vs Camila Osorio (COL)

Stadium 3 – start 11 a.m.
WTA – Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs Tatjana Maria (GER)
WTA – Talia Gibson (AUS) vs Ann Li (USA)
WTA – Himeno Sakatsume (JPN) vs Alycia Parks (USA)
ATP – [WC] Gael Monfils (FRA) vs Qualifier
ATP – Joao Fonseca (BRA) vs Raphael Collignon (BEL)

Stadium 4 – start 11 a.m.
ATP – Mariano Navone (ARG) vs Marcos Giron (USA)
ATP – Mattia Bellucci (ITA) vs Gabriel Diallo (CAN)
ATP – Jenson Brooksby (USA) vs Alexei Popyrin (AUS)
WTA – Jaqueline Cristian (ROU) vs Janice Tjen (INA)
WTA – Dayana Yastremska (UKR) vs Shuai Zhang (CHN)

Stadium 5 – start 11 a.m.
ATP – Quentin Halys (FRA) vs Adam Walton (AUS)
ATP – Zizou Bergs (BEL) vs Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)

Followed By
ATP – Possible Court Change – Marton Fucsovics (HUN) vs Qualifier

Stadium 6 – start 11 a.m.
WTA – Kimberly Birrell (AUS) vs Oksana Selekhmeteva
WTA – Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU)
WTA – Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) vs Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)

Stadium 7 – start 12 p.m.
ATP – Daniel Altmaier (GER) vs Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB)

Not Before 2 p.m.
ATP – Possible Court Change – Qualifier vs James Duckworth (AUS)

Followed By
ATP – Possible Court Change – Qualifier vs Qualifier

Stadium 9 – start 12 p.m.
WTA – Anastasia Potapova (AUT) vs Marina Stakusic (CAN)
WTA – Ella Seidel (GER) vs Anastasia Zakharova
WTA – Dalma Galfi (HUN) vs Anna Blinkova

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Alcaraz, Sinner nominated for 2026 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been nominated for the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards in the World Sportsman of the Year category, with #NextGenATP star Joao Fonseca shortlisted for World Breakthrough of the Year.

The nominations continue a strong recent run for men’s tennis at the Laureus Awards. The most recent male player to win World Sportsman of the Year was Novak Djokovic, who claimed the honour in 2024. Alcaraz and Sinner are both aiming to lift the award for the first time.

Alcaraz is already a Laureus winner, having earned the Breakthrough of the Year Award in 2023 following his maiden major title at the US Open and rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Since then, the Spaniard has continued to add to his trophy haul at both major and ATP Masters 1000 level. In 2025, the Spaniard won a Tour-leading eight titles, including majors at Roland Garros and the US Open.

Sinner, also seeking his first Laureus Award, won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2025 and captured a second consecutive Nitto ATP Finals crown on home soil in Turin. The Italian was also the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings from June 2024 through September 2025, before Alcaraz climbed back to top spot after winning the US Open.

Fonseca’s nomination in the Breakthrough category recognises the Brazilian’s rapid rise on Tour. The 19-year-old won two ATP Tour titles in 2025 and climbed to a career-high No. 24. The 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards take place at Cibeles Palace in Madrid on 20 April.

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Sinner reveals subtle change he's making to his game at Indian Wells

Much has been made about the incremental gains at the top of the men’s game, and Jannik Sinner is no exception. Ahead of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the Italian spoke candidly about the long hours he and his team have invested in fine-tuning his game.

“I think we are always trying to progress with our games,” Sinner said during his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday. “I feel like we are doing a great job. It has been a very hard practice week here for me. We spent many, many hours of practice.”

Central to that improvement is a subtle but significant tactical shift. Sinner revealed he is looking to inject greater intent into his baseline exchanges, an area already considered one of the strongest components of his game.

“[I am] very happy with how I’m feeling on the court, and obviously we try to go as far as possible in the tournament,” Sinner said. “In the same time, we also try to improve a couple of things. I’m trying to be slightly more aggressive at times on the baseline, and then we see how it goes.”

Away from the competitive focus, Sinner has also given fans a closer look at his life off court through his YouTube content, something he sees as a meaningful way to bridge the gap between athlete and audience.

“I feel like fans, they don’t know exactly how we are as a person, so this helps also to show how I am off the courts. I think it’s something great,” Sinner said.

The Italian admitted he is a consumer of similar content himself.

“Me personally, I love to watch also other YouTube videos from other sports people, and it’s of course something different,” Sinner said. “You have behind my team what makes it by itself. You know, I don’t have to worry about anything else.”

Sinner is chasing his sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown this fortnight but first in Indian Wells, having won all of the other five hard-court events at this level. The World No. 2 Sinner trails World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz by 2,800 points in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The Italian, a two-time Indian Wells semi-finalist, starts against James Duckworth or a qualifier in the California desert.

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Mensik wins January's Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve with Auckland final win

Jakub Mensik is January’s Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve winner and he earned it in style.

The 20-year-old Czech launched his season by lifting the ATP 250 trophy in Auckland, delivering a serving masterclass when it mattered most to secure his second tour-level crown.

Facing Sebastian Baez in the final, Mensik ignited the match at 1-1 in the opening set. Under pressure, he fired four consecutive aces to hold — a statement game that set the tone for the showdown. Relentless and precise from the line, he finished with 18 aces en route to a commanding 6-3, 7-6(7) victory.

Watch the Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve January contenders:

The Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve award gives fans the chance to vote for their favourite magical moments from the line. Stella Artois, one of the world’s leading premium beer brands, is a Gold Partner and Official Beer of the ATP Tour through 2028.

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Toni Nadal, Lopez & Fontang feature in star-studded lineup for World Tennis Conference 6

Toni Nadal, Samuel Lopez and Frederic Fontang headline a distinguished group of ATP coaches set to feature at the sixth edition of the World Tennis Conference, taking place from 26–29 March.

The four-day online event will include 66 main speakers and signals the start of a new five-year cycle for the WTC, which continues its mission of building a bridge between leading coaches, scientists, innovators and decision-makers across the sport.

Developed by the Global Professional Tennis Coach Association and the Segal Institute, and supported by the ATP Tour, the conference brings together some of the most respected voices shaping the modern professional game. The speaker list reflects both elite-level success and a broad range of expertise from across the performance pathway.

Sign up on the official World Tennis Conference website: “Dream big. Coach better.”

Nadal, one of the most accomplished mentors in tennis history, will be joined by Lopez, who coaches Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. Fontang, the coach of Felix Auger-Aliassime, is also set to present, along with Gilles Cervara, former coach of Daniil Medvedev. Collectively, their experience spans Grand Slam titles, ATP Tour triumphs and the day-to-day demands of guiding players through the challenges of the global circuit.

Structured as a fully virtual conference, WTC6 will unfold across four themed days, with registered attendees receiving unlimited access to every presentation for 60 days. The opening day centres on the high-performance mindset required on the ATP Tour, exploring the psychological and competitive foundations of sustained excellence. Day two shifts to methodology, tennis analytics, biomechanics and tactical and technical coaching principles that underpin modern player development.

The third day will examine the application of sports science to high performance, integrating strength and conditioning, recovery strategies, injury prevention and load management into elite programmes. The conference concludes with a focus on human development and innovation within high-performance projects, reinforcing WTC6’s core “Person First” philosophy — an approach that prioritises character, education and long-term personal growth as essential pillars of competitive success.

Other notable speakers include Marc Rosset, Brian Teacher, Claudio Pistolesi, Anton Dubrov, Liam Smith, Louis Cayer, Dominik Hrbaty and Alberto Castellani, with additional speakers to be announced in the lead-up to the event.

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Tennis players flee court after UAE drone attack

Players and officials had to run from the court at an ATP Challenger event in the UAE when a fire broke out at a nearby oil terminal following an Iranian drone attack.

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Carlos Alcaraz: Indian Wells draw, history, recent results & more

Carlos Alcaraz is chasing his third BNP Paribas Open title in Indian Wells. Read all about the World No. 1’s results, records, statistics, and more, here. 

What is Alcaraz’s record in Indian Wells?

Since making his Indian Wells debut in 2021, Alcaraz has tallied a 20-3 win-loss record at the tournament. 

What is Alcaraz’s best result in Indian Wells? 

Alcaraz lifted the trophy at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2024.

How far did Alcaraz advance at Indian Wells in 2025? 

Alcaraz lost 1-6, 6-0, 4-6 to Jack Draper in the Indian Wells semi-finals in 2025 (Read more).  

How many Indian Wells titles has Alcaraz won? 

Alcaraz has won two Indian Wells titles. 

What are Alcaraz’s recent results? 

What is Alcaraz’s career record on hard courts?

Alcaraz holds a 154-42 win-loss record on hard courts, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, for a winning percentage of 78.6 per cent. He ranks third among active players in winning percentage on hard courts. 

What is Alcaraz’s draw in Indian Wells? 

Alcaraz begins his Indian Wells campaign against Terence Atmane or Grigor Dimitrov and could face Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Botic van de Zandschulp or Arthur Rinderknech in the third round. He will meet Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals if both reach that stage.  

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Novak Djokovic: Indian Wells draw, history, recent results & more

Novak Djokovic owns a joint-record five titles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Read all about the Serbian’s results, records, statistics, and more, here. 

What is Djokovic’s record in Indian Wells?

Since making his Indian Wells debut in 2005, Djokovic has tallied a 51-11 win-loss record at the tournament, including a joint-record five titles alongside Roger Federer. 

What is Djokovic’s best result in Indian Wells?

Djokovic won Indian Wells in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015 & 2016.

How far did Djokovic advance in Indian Wells in 2025? 

Djokovic lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round in Indian Wells in 2025. Van de Zandschulp triumphed 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 (Read more). 

How many Indian Wells titles has Djokovic won? 

Djokovic has won a joint-record five Indian Wells titles. 

What are Djokovic’s recent results? 

What is Djokovic’s career record on hard courts? 

Djokovic holds a 739-137 win-loss record on hard courts, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, for a winning percentage of 84.4 per cent. He ranks first among active players in winning percentage on hard courts. 

What is Djokovic’s draw in Indian Wells?

Djokovic opens his Indian Wells campaign against Kamil Majchrzak or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and could face Corentin Moutet, Hubert Hurkacz or Aleksandar Kovacevic in the third round. He will meet World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals if both reach that stage. 

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What memorable life advice did Djokovic deliver to UCLA football team?

Novak Djokovic has made the most of his time in California before the start of the BNP Paribas Open.

The man who has spent a record 428 weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings in his career took the time to spread his knowledge to the next generation, although in a different sport. Djokovic spoke to the UCLA football team before traveling to Indian Wells.

“It’s [about] right now,” Djokovic told the group. “This is the time because 10 per cent of life happens to us and 90 per cent of life is how we react to what happens to us.”

The five-time Indian Wells champion also explained to the football players that he misses the team spirit as an individual athlete.

“Seeing you guys, how much you enjoy supporting each other, lifting each other up and bringing that spirit up,” Djokovic said. “It’s only going to serve you as a team, you individually, [your] coach and the whole community and of course the college that you’re a part of.”

 

 

 

 

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Djokovic, a longtime basketball fan, also took the time to sit courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game, snapping a quick photo with LeBron James and Luka Doncic. During his post-game press conference, Doncic shared the highest praise for the ATP No. 1 Club member.

“For me he’s the GOAT,” Doncic said. “For him being here watching me, it’s just unbelievable.”

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