(1) Juan Martin del Potro is a Top 2 Contender
Over the past 14 months, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have created a monopoly atop the ATP Rankings. But, with his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown on Sunday, the Tower of Tandil has thrust himself into the Top 2 conversation. With a shiny new No. 6 next to his name, Del Potro is in prime position to make a charge during the upcoming clay-court season.

At the age of 29 and with his injuries behind him, the Argentine looks to be back to the form that carried him to a career-high of No. 4 in 2010. His mammoth forehand was large and in charge throughout the tournament and he showed great maturity and poise with his back against the wall. Trailing by a set against Leonardo Mayer in the fourth round and Philipp Kohlschreiber in the quarter-finals, Del Potro was at his resilient best. And when he stared down the barrel of three championship points against   Federer in Sunday’s final, he refused to go down without a fight.

His reward? The missing prize in his trophy case: a first Masters 1000 crown. 

“It’s so big,” Del Potro said of winning his first Masters 1000 title. “I cannot believe I won this tournament, beating Roger in a great final and level of tennis. We played great tennis today. I’m No. 6 in the world, I think? Which is so good to me. And I’m excited to keep working… I just want to keep winning titles like this if I can.”  

(2) Roger Federer Continues To Put The ATP World Tour On Notice
Sure, Roger Federer fell just short of claiming his 28th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event and a record sixth BNP Paribas Open trophy. In fact, the Swiss had three match points — on his serve, no less — in the third set to triumph once again in the Coachella Valley. But while he leaves Indian Wells as runner-up, how close he was illustrates a statement he has made throughout 2018 — the 36-year-old does not plan on going anywhere. 

The World No. 1 guaranteed that he would maintain his spot atop the ATP Rankings on Monday by advancing to the semi-finals. And then, when it appeared he was on his way out of the tournament, he recovered from a set and 2-4 down in the semi-finals against rising star Borna Coric, and then a break on two separate occasions in the third set, to make an eighth Indian Wells final. It’s not like the Swiss was ousted early. It’s quite the opposite, actually. Federer set a new personal record for best start to a year by triumphing in his first 17 matches before losing to Del Potro on Sunday. 

“It was maybe a point here or there, maybe a shot, maybe a forehand, maybe a chip. So that’s how it goes. It’s unfortunate,” Federer said. 

All it would have taken was one shot to go differently for this to be a very different conversation, so don’t worry about Federer. That is for the rest of the ATP World Tour to do.

(3) Innovation Is Driving Indian Wells To New Heights
Year after year, the BNP Paribas Open continues to set the benchmark for tennis excellence on the ATP World Tour. The prestigious tournament in Indian Wells is consistently at the forefront of sporting innovation and is highly regarded by players and fans as one of the best events on the calendar.

During the week, the tournament in the California desert was honoured once again, receiving its trophy as the top Masters 1000 event in the 2017 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon. It marked the fourth consecutive year in which it has celebrated the achievement. 

Prior to the 2017 tournament, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden underwent extensive renovations designed to enhance the overall fan experience, including substantial upgrades to Stadium 1 – ranging from a massive expansion of the Stadium Plaza to renovating all the suites and hospitality spaces to adding 21 new restaurants and concessions. Leading up to this year’s edition, the tournament underwent a full-scale beautification project, including the addition of 62 palm trees, as part of a sweeping ‘green’ initiative.

(4) The Youth Revolution Is Alive At The Masters 1000 Level
Last year, Hyeon Chung and Borna Coric made their mark on the ATP World Tour with appearances at the Next Gen ATP Finals. Chung and Coric starred in Milan and they carried the momentum into 2018, putting their talents on full display at this week’s BNP Paribas Open. 

Chung reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final, falling to Federer, and Coric advanced to his first Masters 1000 semi-final, also falling to the World No. 1. Both players earned statement wins en route, with the Korean toppling Tomas Berdych in straight sets and the Croatian clipping seventh seed Kevin Anderson in a deciding tie-break.

Chung and Coric weren’t the only members of the ATP’s youth revolution to make strides at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. For the second straight year, Taylor Fritz was the last #NextGenATP standing, earning a pair of comeback wins to reach the Round of 16. And the ascents of Alex de Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime continued, with both teens securing their first Masters 1000 match wins.

“Last year, I never would have thought I’d be here talking to you guys in the second round of a Masters 1000,” said Auger-Aliassime. “I was still playing juniors. This transition went pretty fast for me, so it’s quite unbelievable to be here so early. But as a kid, those are the moments you dream of and those are the stages you want to play on.” 

(5) Jack Sock Is A Doubles Dynamo
Well, we already knew that. But the 2018 BNP Paribas Open only reaffirmed the belief that the American is one of the best two-way players on the ATP World Tour. The World No. 10 in singles added a 10th tour-level doubles crown, teaming up with countryman John Isner to prevail in the desert.

It was Sock’s third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and second in Indian Wells, having also triumphed with Vasek Pospisil in 2015. A magician at the net with rapid reflexes, few players’ court instincts can match those of the Nebraska native. 

Moreover, Sock and Isner did not drop a set through four matches, becoming just the third team to do so in the past 30 years in Indian Wells. 

“I have been fortunate enough to be in my third final here,” Sock said. “I’ve been able to win two of them, which has been super special. Like John said, obviously it’s an incredible 10 days here. Probably almost every player’s favourite event of the year. Family and friends and loved ones are out here and you’re renting a house. And it’s relaxing, and you’re still getting to play super high-level tennis. And then the crowds, on top of it, are just amazing.”

Players competing at this week’s ATP Challenger Tour event in Shenzhen stepped away from the court for a pair of off-site activities, sampling the local Chinese culture.

Sweden’s Andreas Siljestrom and Austria’s Tristan-Samuel Weissborn went hiking in nearby Dashanbei Park, where they put their artistic skills to the test. The duo took a break from their trek to paint in front of the famous Taihe Tower. The tower was built in the Ming dynasty, with the name “Taihe” referring to a high level of harmony, such as the harmony within oneself.

Later in the week, Marcel Granollers interacted with students at the local Gemdale International School. The Spaniard led a Q&A session, discussing his journey in professional tennis and providing advice for those interested in following in his footsteps. The game is an integral part of the school, with many students aspiring to turn pro.

The Pingshan Open has a long tradition of encouraging players to experience the culture in the local community. Last year, players visited a Tsing Dynasty villa named Wanshi Habitat and tested their talents in a calligraphy classroom, learning to write Chinese characters.

On the court, Ilya Ivashka celebrated his second Challenger crown, defeating home hope Ze Zhang. The Belarusian prevailed 6-4, 6-2 in Sunday’s final, marking his ascent to a career-high No. 122 in the ATP Rankings. Ivashka recently scored the biggest result on the ATP World Tour in his young career, as the 24-year-old reached the semi-finals at the Open 13 in Marseille.

Titles have never defined who Roger Federer is, although, if they did, they’d have a lot to say for him. The Swiss right-hander was three times a swing away from winning his 28^th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown and his 98^th tour-level title on Sunday against Juan Martin del Potro during the BNP Paribas Open final in Indian Wells. But Del Potro erased all three championship points and captured his maiden Masters 1000 title 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2).

Federer, however, long ago learned to achieve contentment in life, despite some on-court disappointments here and there. The 36-year-old Swiss said he achieved such peace years ago, shortly after he began to make his mark on the ATP World Tour and at Grand Slam tournaments.

“I have been content for a long, long time on the Tour. I guess ever since I became world No. 1 back in 2004 and won Wimbledon in 2003, my life was complete as a tennis player. Those were my dreams as a little kid,” he said.

Federer said that’s why he still enjoys most things about the tour life. “That’s why retirement can wait, and I’m just really enjoying the ride. I’m really having a good time on the Tour,” Federer said.

It’s easy to forget that Federer has had tough moments during his career, times that have taught him how to stay positive regardless of the outcome on the court. After falling to Del Potro in the season’s first Masters 1000 final, Federer spoke at length about his attitude.

“I think staying positive through the tough moments is really key. Because you’re always going to go through ups and downs in your career, or as a person for that matter. Not every day is sun shining. It’s sometimes a bit of a struggle and important that you take the right decisions, you surround yourself with the right people, you’re happy with what you have,” Federer said.

“Of course you can always try to want more and have more and everything, but you might never be happy when you search for things like this.”

Federer’s outlook has helped him move on from losses. His 17-match win streak to start the 2018 season – the longest of his career to begin a year – was snapped against Del Potro. But the World No. 1 knows he won’t have a lot of time to dwell on the match. The season’s second Masters 1000 tournament, the Miami Open presented by Itau, starts on Wednesday. Federer is the defending champion there, too.

“I feel frustrated, you know, that I let an opportunity like this go by. Serving 40/15, any game I probably win – I don’t know what the stat is – 90-something per cent,” Federer said of his lead at 5-4 in the third set.

“So it should sting, like you said, for a bit. The question is how long? It won’t be long, but it’s disappointing talking about a great match like this, losing, even though I was right there.

“Obviously there is not too much time to dwell over it. Like I said, I’m happy for Juan Martin. It’s a tough one. And I still had a good week here. I still see the positives at the end of the day.

“It was a great match, honestly. Good fun. Good intensity. We enjoy that. And also it was tough and fair on the court. It was Juan Martin and myself. At the end you saw we are appreciative of the finals that we played against each other, which I think is really important for both of us.”

It’s a dream final at the BNP Paribas Open – for more than just fans.

Earlier in the tournament, Juan Martin del Potro said that any chance to play against Roger Federer would be great – and now he’ll get exactly that: a clash with Federer for the first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy of the season. 

View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the 2018 BNP Paribas Open final & vote for who you think will win! 
Federer vs. Del Potro

Both advanced to the final, albeit in drastically different fashion. Federer endured an inspired effort by Borna Coric, who led by a set and a break on several occasions but was unable to close the Swiss out in the match’s most tense moments. Del Potro, on the other hand, breezed by Milos Raonic, dealing better with the windy conditions and breaking the Canadian’s normally potent serve four times. The victory marked Del Potro’s 400^th career win, and he became just the second Argentine in history after Guillermo Vilas to reach the milestone.

The BNP Paribas final pits two of the game’s best forehands against each other. With Del Potro, every ball left for his forehand to devour could mean the point is over. Whether he’s in an attacking position or a defensive one, the Argentine’s juggernaut forehand is a weapon any opponent, including Federer, would wish to avoid. 

Federer, on the other hand, will look to use his own potent forehand to bully Del Potro’s backhand. Taking the ball fast and early is the Swiss’ modus operandi, and his ability to inject so much spin with such a compact swing has contributed to countless historic results in his prolific career.

 Watch Full Match Replays

This matchup of fearsome forehands has yielded several exceptional matches over the years. In fact, 9 of their past 11 meetings have gone to a final set, including an epic 19-17 third set at the London Olympics in 2012. Just last year, the two met four times: Federer claimed three of those matches, while Del Potro got the better of him in the quarter-finals of the US Open in four tight sets.

“Yeah, we have had a lot of close matches. Big matches, close matches,” recalled Federer on the rivalry. “I just tried to think back at the French Open semis, US Open final, Olympic semis, Basel finals … and few [Nitto ATP Finals] matches, Shanghai; just three-setters and five-setters the whole way. It’s been good.

“I think we have an interesting matchup,” he added. We both know what the other is trying to do, and we try to stop the other person from doing it. But it’s hard when [one of us] is in full flight. It’s basically an arm wrestle the whole time, and I think we enjoy that.”

Although Federer owns a 18-6 record against the 29-year-old in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, Del Potro actually leads the Swiss when it comes to finals with three wins to Federer’s two.

At the BNP Paribas Open, their 25^th meeting overall will be their sixth final contested. Federer will be playing to reinforcehis place atop the ATP Rankings, although he will remain at the No. 1 spot throughout Miami regardless of his result in Sunday’s final. Additionally, the 36-year-old is chasing his 28th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and 98th title overall.  Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the final is a chance for Del Potro to claim his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy and his biggest title since winning the US Open nine years ago. The Argentine knows he won’t have it easy against one of his greatest rivals – but he relishes the challenge.

“We play great matches together. I love to play against him,” said the World No. 8. “He’s the favourite to win tomorrow, but I will try to do my best tennis. I beat him in the past, and I know [what] I can do to repeat that, but is not easy. It will be a good challenge to see how my level is against him.”