INDIAN WELLS (USA) (ITALPRESS) – The Bnp Paribas Open 2026 men’s board, the first Masters 1000 of the Indian Wells cement season, offers fans the prospect of revising Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final against Novak Djokovic, as in the last act of the Australian Open. In the lower Jannik Sinner, #2 of the world, the American Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev could face in the quarterfinals. It is the result of the draw of the main board of the rich American tournament (mountains 9.415.725 dollars) occurred in the Italian night.
The number 1 of the Alcaraz world arrives at Indian Wells, where he triumphed twice, with a perfect seasonal record of 12-0. The 22-year-old completed the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open and then won his 13th ATP 500 title in Doha. The Spanish will debut against the former number 3 of the world, the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, or the French Terence Atmane.
Djokovic, the most titrated champion in the history of the tournament with five triumphs at Roger Federer, will face the Polish Kamil Majchrzak or the French Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his first match from the Melbourne final. He could then cross in the fourth round the defending champion Jack Draper, returned to the ATP circuit last week in Dubai after six months of stop for a left arm injury.
World number 4 Alexander Zverev won seven Masters 1000 in career, but never went beyond the quarterfinals to Indian Wells. The German will debut against the blue Matteo Berrettini or the French Adrian Mannarino; on the horizon a potential fourth against Flavio Cobolli (series 15 head), which will debut against one between the German Daniel Altmaier and Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, just defeated in the semifinals in Acapulco, or Frances Tiafoe (21), which could collide in the third round with the Roman just a few days.
Zverev is projected to a quarter final against Lorenzo Musetti (5), who after the debut against the winner of the match between Hungarian Marton Fucsovics and a qualified man could meet along his way the French Arthur Fils (30) in the third round, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (9) or Russian Andrey Rublev (17) in the eighth.
Sinner won all the other five ATP Masters 1000 on the concrete, but he has not yet succeeded in triumphing in the Californian desert, where he reached the top in the semifinals in 2023 and 2024. The South Tyrolean outclass will debut in the second round against Australian James Duckworth (83) or a qualified.
In the third round he could meet Argentinean Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Canadian Denis Shapovalov or Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, before an eighth against Russian Karen Khachanov (16), who could rise against Brazilian Joao Fonseca or American Tommy Paul (23). In the quarters, the board offers the possibility of a Sinner-Shelton rematch, after the recent quarter final at the Australian Open.
As for the other Azzurri in the race, waiting for the outcome of the qualifying for Francesco Maestrelli, Luciano Darderi, head of series number 20, will debut in the second round against a qualified, as well as Matteo Arnaldi, but in the first round. For Mattia Bellucci, however, there is the Canadian Gabriel Diallo.
In the main draw of female singular there is only one Italian player, Jasmine Paolini. In the five previous participations at the “1000” California, the Tuscan never went beyond the eighty finals, reached the two occasions: in 2024 he lost in three sets with Anastasia Potapova while in 2025 he gave clearly to Liudmila Samsonova. Seventh strength of the tournament, Paolini will enter the race directly in the second round against the Austrian (and Russian birth) Anastasia Potapova or a qualified. The first serial head you might encounter is number 30, Chinese Xinyu Wang. The Tuscan is inserted in the upper part of the board, on the side of the n.1 of the world Aryna Sabalenka.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
