Scouting Report: Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner seek Indian Wells success, Novak Djokovic chases record title | ATP Tour

Inspection Report

Scouting Report: Alcaraz & Sinner seek Indian Wells success, Djokovic chases title record

The ultimate summary of what every fan should know about the BNP Paribas Open

March 02, 2026

The first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season begins on Wednesday at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic leading the field.

Alcaraz is a two-time champion in the hard court event, while Sinner has yet to taste success in the California desert. Djokovic will be looking for a sixth crown and first since 2016. Top 10 stars Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton lead America’s hopes.

ATPTour.com takes a look at 10 things to watch during the 2026 BNP Paribas Open.

1) Can Alcaraz maintain his good start to the season? Alcaraz comes to Indian Wells with a season-best 12-0 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The 22-year-old Spaniard completed the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open and won his 13th ATP 500 title in Doha. The number 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is a two-time Indian Wells champion.

2) Can Soni complete the set? Sinner has won all five other ATP Masters 1000 court events but is yet to win in the California desert. The Italian, chasing his first trophy in 2026, reached the semifinals at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2024.

3) Djokovic seeks record sixth crown: If Djokovic wins for the first time at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden since 2016, he will overtake Roger Federer as the record six-time champion. The 38-year-old Serbian is competing for the first time since reaching the Australian Open final last month.

4) Fritz earns take home money: Fritz knows how to cross the line at Indian Wells. The Californian, who frequented the BNP Paribas Open in his childhood, defeated Rafael Nadal to win the biggest title of his career at the 2022 tournament. The 28-year-old’s best result this season was a run to the final at the ATP 500 event in Dallas.

5) American currency: Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Student Tien and Brandon Nakashima will all be seeded on home soil in Indian Wells. World No. 8 Shelton won the title in Dallas and is looking for his second Masters 1000 trophy after winning in Toronto last season. Tiafoe (2023) and Paul (2024) have both reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells, while Tien is looking for his first win at the event. Nakashima reached the fourth round last year.

6) Draper protecting the hero: Jack Draper returned to the ATP Tour in Dubai last week after a six-month layoff with a left arm injury. The British lefty won the biggest trophy of his career last year in Indian Wells, where he defeated Holger Rune in the championship match. Cameron Norrie is also involved. The 30-year-old won Indian Wells in 2021.

7) Zverev is looking for a winning formula: World No. 4 Alexander Zverev is a seven-time Masters 1000 champion but has never advanced to the quarter-finals of Indian Wells. The 28-year-old German will be hoping to change that record over the course of two days.

8) Top 10 threats: Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Bublik are all chasing their first Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells. De Minaur, Auger-Aliassime and Bublik all lifted tour-level trophies this year, winning in Rotterdam, Montpellier and Hong Kong, respectively.

9) The next star of Gen Fonseca and Jodar in action: Joao Fonseca will hope to start his year in Indian Wells, where he will be playing for the second time. The 19-year-old Brazilian, who is 1-3 this season, is joined by 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar. Jodar has three tour wins in 2026 and will make his debut on the tough field after earning a wild card.

10) The interesting Medvedev/Tien article draws twice: Tien leads Medvedev 3-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series but they will meet in two sets in Indian Wells. Other teams include Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Sebastian Korda, and Alex de Minaur and John Peers. Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic are the defending champions.