The men’s draw for Indian Wells has been released, with Carlos Alcaraz ranked top seed and Jannik Sinner following him as the second seed.
Alcaraz is in the same draw as Novak Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the 2026 Australian Open finals. Moreover, Ben Shelton and Sinner are once again placed in the same draw.
2026 ATP 1000 BNP Paribas Open Draw
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Fans are not quite happy with this draw. One fan reacted to another potential Sinner vs Shelton encounter:
“I knew Shelton would be in Sinner’s QF before I opened it up.”
“They do put all the big server together: Shelton, Opelka, Mensik, Khachanov,” another fan added.
Some Djokovic fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the draw
“How does Novak draw Fritz in his quarter every time it’s unbelievable,” another fan wrote.
“This is a draw from hell. Djokovic always “coincidentally” gets these kind of draws,” one fan wrote.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz’s fans have also reacted negatively.
“He has a harder draw than Djokovic and he is seeded higher. Tennis is to political,” one fan wrote.
“Tough draw, but shouldn’t matter for Carlos. The first match might be the most dangerous since that’s when he’s usually less sharp,” another added.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s Complete Indian Wells Draw
Novak Djokovic’s draw received the most attention. Since he is one of the top seeds, he has received a bye in the first round. The Serbian will open his campaign in the second round, where he’ll face the winner of France’s Perricard and Poland’s Majchrzak. He would face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the third round, followed by a potential fourth-round clash with Great Britain’s Jack Draper.
In the quarterfinals, Djokovic will face America’s Taylor Fritz before setting himself up for. a semifinal showdown against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz or Australia’s Alex de Minaur. Should he reach the final, Djokovic may encounter one of Italy’s Jannik Sinner or Lorenzo Musetti, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, or American Ben Shelton.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz also receives a first-round bye. He starts the competition with tough opponents as he would face the winner of former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov and up-and-coming talent Terence Atmane. In the third round, he could face Arthur Rinderknech or Botic van de Zandschulp. A potential fourth-round clash could see him facing either Casper Ruud or Vacherot.
Alcaraz could meet Alexander Bublik or Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals before a potential showdown against Djokovic in the semifinals. If not the Serbian, it could be Jack Draper, Daniil Medvedev, or Taylor Fritz. If he reaches the final, possible opponents include Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben Shelton, or Jakub Mensik.
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