Indian Wells Gets Underway: Alcaraz and Sinner Eye 'Fifth Grand Slam'

The First Major Tennis Tournament of the Year

Main draw matches began on Wednesday, March 4th, at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, an event often referred to in the tennis world as the 'fifth Grand Slam'. The tournament, which runs until March 15th, is also the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the 2026 season, and the world's best tennis players have gathered in the desert hoping to lift the trophy.

Alcaraz: Undefeated and Two-Time Champion

Carlos Alcaraz arrives in Indian Wells in unbeatable form: the Spanish world number one has won all twelve of his matches in 2026, boasting a perfect 12-0 record as he embarks on the first Masters tournament of the season. In January, he completed the 'career Grand Slam' by winning all four Grand Slam tournaments at the Australian Open, and then triumphed in Doha, Qatar. The 22-year-old Spaniard also feels particularly at home in the desert: he lifted the trophy in Indian Wells in both 2023 and 2024, so he is now fighting for a third title. His first opponent will be the winner of the qualifying match between Grigor Dimitrov and Terence Atmane – neither of which, according to experts, will be an easy task.

Sinner Chasing First Desert Title

World number two Jannik Sinner has always fallen short of the final in Indian Wells: he has reached the semi-finals in each of the past two years. The Italian star's 2026 season did not start perfectly – he reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the quarter-finals in Doha – but he has always performed well in Indian Wells. According to the draw, his quarter-final opponent could be the strong American Ben Shelton, against whom the Italian has a commanding 9-1 head-to-head record, so this pairing does not intimidate him.

Djokovic Eyes Record, Draper Returns

Novak Djokovic arrives in California as a five-time Indian Wells champion – currently tied with Roger Federer's record. If the Serbian legend wins his sixth trophy, he would become the sole record holder at the tournament. Djokovic made his debut here exactly twenty years ago, and although he is in Alcaraz's half of the draw, last year's champion, Briton Jack Draper, could stand in his way before a potential semi-final. Draper has returned to the court after a long absence, but he won the best trophy of his career here last year.

Strong European Field – Also Interesting from a Hungarian Perspective

Hungarian tennis fans may be particularly excited by the strong European presence: three of the four highest-ranked players – Alcaraz, Sinner and Djokovic – are European. Alexander Zverev, the world number four, has never made it past the quarter-finals in Indian Wells, and will be looking to improve on that record this year. The Italian Lorenzo Musetti and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas also promise a serious challenge in the higher rounds.

Experts predict that an Alcaraz–Sinner final is the most likely scenario on March 15th, but the real tennis drama may come from the desert journey itself – with players like Djokovic, Draper and Zverev potentially disrupting the established order.