Former champion Carlos Alcaraz aims to extend his perfect start to 2026 at Indian Wells while Jannik Sinner returns to the California desert seeking to fill a gap in his resume with his first title of the year.
The world’s top two players headline a stellar men’s field for the ATP and WTA Masters 1000 tournament, where Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic is chasing a record sixth title, which would see him break out of a tie with Swiss great Roger Federer for the most in tournament history.
Spain’s Alcaraz, 22, made history last month when he lifted the Australian Open title to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam
Second seed Sinner, who is in the bottom half of the draw, will open his Indian Wells campaign on Friday, when he will face qualifier Dalibor Svrcina in the second round. The Italian has won all of the other five hard-court events at the ATP Masters 1000 level and is chasing his first title in the California desert.
Top seed Alcaraz, who is in the top half of the draw, will begin his bid for a third Indian Wells crown on Saturday. He will take on former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov in his opening match. The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings fell to eventual champion Jack Draper in the semi-finals in 2025.