Tennis News

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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Jannik Sinner: Indian Wells draw, history, recent results & more

Jannik Sinner is a two-time semi-finalist at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Read all about the Italian’s results, records, statistics, and more, here. 

What is Sinner’s record in Indian Wells?

Since making his Indian Wells debut in 2021, Sinner has tallied an 11-3 win-loss record at the tournament, including consecutive semi-final runs in 2023-24. 

What is Sinner’s best result in Indian Wells?

Sinner reached back-to-back Indian Wells semi-finals in 2023-24, losing to Carlos Alcaraz on both occasions. 

How far did Sinner advance in his last Indian Wells appearance? 

Sinner lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals in 2024, which was the Italian’s most recent appearance at the event. Alcaraz triumphed 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 (Read more). 

How many ATP Masters 1000 titles has Sinner won? 

Sinner has won five ATP Masters 1000 titles. 

What are Sinner’s recent results? 

What is Sinner’s career record on hard courts? 

Sinner holds a 234-54 win-loss record on hard courts, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, for a winning percentage of 81.3 per cent. He ranks second among active players in winning percentage on hard courts. 

What is Sinner’s draw in Indian Wells?

Sinner opens his Indian Wells campaign against James Duckworth or a qualifier and could face Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Denis Shapovalov or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round. He will meet Ben Shelton if both men reach the quarter-finals.

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Alcaraz faces tricky opening test in Indian Wells, with Djokovic looming

No matter who top seed Carlos Alcaraz faces in his opening match of the BNP Paribas Open, the Spaniard will face a tricky test.

The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will open the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event against former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov or surging lefty Terence Atmane, with five-time Indian Wells champion Novak Djokovic also looming in his half of the draw. 

View the full Indian Wells singles draw

Alcaraz played Dimitrov in the California desert last year, losing just two games to the Bulgarian in the fourth round. But Dimitrov has shown comfort at Indian Wells, reaching the semi-finals in 2021 and the quarter-finals in 2022.

Atmane will be making his main draw debut at Indian Wells after previously competing in qualifying. The Frenchman broke through last year in Cincinnati with a dream run to the semi-finals and is at a career-high No. 52 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The 24-year-old has split two previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Dimitrov, including a straight-sets victory last week in Acapulco.

“It’s amazing. I’ll have hopefully two very good matches going on. We’re going to stay focused on the first one,” Atmane said. “It’s always fun. We played with Grigor last week, so we play again. It’s very funny. The winner of one of us is going to be able to play Carlitos. It’s going to be very much up [in the air] for both of us, so it’s going to be very interesting.”

Djokovic, who is tied with Roger Federer for the most titles in tournament history (5), will play Kamil Majchrzak or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his first match since the Australian Open final. The Serbian suffered a stunning opening defeat here to Botic van de Zandschulp last year and will try to make a good start on his chase to a 102nd tour-level title.

Seventh seed Taylor Fritz, the 2022 Indian Wells champion, is also in Djokovic’s quarter of the draw. The top-ranked American opens against Damir Dzumhur or Jacob Fearnley.

Second seed Jannik Sinner is chasing his first title in the desert and is in the same quarter as eighth seed Ben Shelton, who brings momentum to California after winning the Dallas title. Sinner takes on James Duckworth or a qualifier in the second round.

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From Courier to Federer & Djokovic, reliving ATP No. 1 Club Sunshine Double sweeps

From the dry desert conditions of Indian Wells to the sticky humidity of Miami, the Sunshine Double is a challenge that few have managed to conquer with both trophies in tow.

Just seven men have swept both the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open presented by Itau in the same season, a list dominated by former World No. 1s.

Novak Djokovic has reigned victorious across the Sunshine Double a record four times, while Roger Federer accomplished it three times. The Swiss is the most recent player to achieve the feat, having done so in 2017.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, three of the 29 members in the ATP No. 1 Club, are among those who will soon begin their quest of joining the exclusive list of those to triumph in Indian Wells and Miami in the same season.

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Jim Courier was the first to win the Sunshine Double in 1991 at the age of 20. The American began Indian Wells as the No. 26 player in the PIF ATP Rankings before going on a career-defining run, not only in California and south Florida, but the rest of the season.

Courier, who needed a fifth-set tie-break to win a three-hour, 30-minute Indian Wells final against Frenchman Guy Forget, would claim his first major title at Roland Garros that year. Using his devastating inside-out forehand to great effect, Courier also reached the US Open final, helping his ascension to World No. 1 for the first time in 1992.

Courier’s countryman Pete Sampras followed suit across the Sunshine Double in 1994. Sampras was No. 1 at the time, but arrived in Indian Wells still searching to find his groove at the tournament, having won seven matches across his first five appearances. He turned that around in emphatic fashion in ‘94, winning a five-set Indian Wells final before successfully defending his Miami crown two weeks later.

The 1994 Miami final, one of 34 Lexus ATP Head2Head duels between Sampras and Andre Agassi, is often remembered for Agassi’s sportsmanship. After learning that Sampras was ill with a stomach problem, Agassi agreed to delay the championship match until the following day, allowing his rival more time to recover from his sickness. “If I couldn’t beat Pete healthy, I didn’t deserve to win the tournament,” Agassi said at the time, according to The New York Times.

In 1998, Chilean Marcelo Rios won the Sunshine Double to secure his rise to World No. 1. Rios began that season as the No. 10 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, but in just three months, he surged to the top. Rios dropped just one set in Indian Wells — a dramatic second-set tie-break in the final against Greg Rusedski that the Briton won 17/15, testifying how much it took to claim a single set off the Chilean during his Sunshine Double run.

For Rios, a double prize was then on the line in Miami. He would become World No. 1 if he won the title. The third seed did just that, defeating Agassi in the championship match.

Agassi would enjoy his moment in the Sunshine Double spotlight three years later in 2001. The American downed three Top 10 players across both tournaments, including a straight-sets victory against great rival Sampras in the Indian Wells final.

Then came Federer and Djokovic, the only players to complete the Sunshine Double on more than one occasion. In 2005, Federer’s hopes of achieving the feat for the first time were hanging by a thread. The Swiss miraculously came back from two sets to love down in the Miami final to escape none other than Rafael Nadal. That dramatic Federer-Nadal final was a year removed from their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, coincidentally at the same venue. The rivals would go on to face each other 40 times in their illustrious careers.

In 2006, Federer operated on a different plane. Across the Sunshine Double, the Swiss dropped two sets in 12 matches, a snapshot of Federer’s start to the year. Federer lost one match during the first three months of 2006.

Staying with dominant streaks, Djokovic’s 2011 run stands among the greatest. The Serbian won his first 41 matches of the 2011 season, including triumphs in Indian Wells and Miami. Djokovic downed rivals Federer and Nadal in the Indian Wells semi-finals and final, respectively, and would again defeat the Spaniard in the Miami title match.

Djokovic turned the Sunshine Double into his domain from 2014-16. He completed a hat-trick, leaving both events with the trophy for three consecutive years. In 2016, the Belgrade native, who boasts a record 428 weeks spent at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, ousted four Top 10 players across both tournaments.

From Courier’s breakthrough in 1991 to Djokovic’s record-setting dominance, the Sunshine Double has remained a rare proving ground: Win both Indian Wells and Miami, and you are bound for legendary status.

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Davenport's son Leach excited for his moment at Indian Wells: 'It feels surreal'

Lindsay Davenport won the Indian Wells singles title in 1997 and 2000, well before her son, Jagger Leach, was born. Now it is Leach who has a chance to shine at the BNP Paribas Open.

The 18-year-old, a freshman at Stanford University, is competing in an ATP Tour qualifying event for the first time at the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event. It is a fitting venue considering the Californian has spent nearly every March of his life at Indian Wells, from the days following around his mother, who coached Madison Keys, to competing in a junior tournament at the same location.

“Some of my best memories are from when I was seven years old and I was running around and I was trying to find open practice courts with my dad,” Leach said of his father, former pro Jonathan Leach. “When my mom was coaching Madison, we could go over to the practice courts, and if she finished her practice seven minutes early, then my dad and I would jump on and hit for those seven minutes, and then we would walk around.

“If we saw another pro finish 10 minutes before their practice time was up, then we would try and go hit for those 10 minutes and we were just scavenging around. And that was a lot of fun. I have great memories from that.”

Leach has images at Indian Wells from before he was a teen: on court, in player dining with Keys and around the grounds. This tournament was a major part of his childhood.

“When I was young, I had access to the pro player lounge area where they have the Pop-A-Shot games,” Leach said. “I would hang out there and eat lunch and play Pop-A-Shot and just be around. It was an incredible experience. The dining there, I thought it was amazing.”

<img alt=”Jagger Leach and Madison Keys” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/03/02/17/10/leach-keys-indian-wells.jpg” />

The American climbed as high as No. 4 in the ITF Junior Rankings and was a junior qualifier for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator. But for now, Leach has been focused on playing college tennis at Stanford. On Sunday, the Cardinal defeated Duke in North Carolina and Leach then flew to California for the biggest opportunity of his young tennis journey.

“The experience has been incredible. I love my teammates and my coaches here at Stanford. I love the campus and the campus life. And really, one thing that has been incredible among a lot of things, has been being a part of a team. That has been the most unbelievable experience,” Leach said. “Usually in tennis, you’re alone out there on the court. And when you’re going to tournaments and travelling around, you might have friends and people that you enjoy spending time around, but at the end of the day, they’re your competitors and nobody is really cheering and rooting you on and wants you to succeed.

“I think one thing about being a part of a college team is, I have nine other players that really want me to succeed and are pushing me every day to try and get better.”

Leach, a wild card, will have plenty of local support Monday evening when he takes on 14th seed Tomas Barrios Vera in the first round of qualifying. The young American has been around high-level tennis his entire life, but this is different.

“It’s super cool. And it’s an incredible experience that I’m going to cherish and hopefully I can keep improving, and I can get to the place where I’m back playing these tournaments and it’s not so intimidating and I’m so starstruck,” Leach said. “That’s the ultimate goal. But for right now it’s intimidating. It’s super cool. They seem like superheroes. Sinner and Alcaraz, their tennis is just on a different planet. And so thankfully, I don’t have to worry about them in the qualies, but being around them and being in the same locker room and knowing that I’m going to be playing in the same tournament, it feels surreal.

“It would be incredible to have the chance to play against one of them some day.”

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