The BNP Paribas Open, held in Indian Wells, has initiated with numerous unexpected turn of events, largely due to the alteration in the playing surface chosen by the organizers after a quarter of a century. The challenging weather conditions in California, particularly the fierce winds, add another layer of complexity, affecting the gameplay and requiring the players to quickly adapt, irrespective of their experience.
In the men’s division, two of the tournament’s most favored contenders, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic, have already been ousted. Zverev, the German tennis sensation, is going through a rough patch, evidenced by his defeat at the hands of Tallon Griekspoor — a player who demonstrated exceptional courage in critical moments and recently notched another high-profile victory over Daniil Medvedev in Dubai.
Djokovic, on the other hand, has had a bitter experience with the season’s first Masters 1000. The five-time champion of the tournament, who was defeated by Luca Nardi in the third round the previous year, had an even more disappointing performance in 2025, being eliminated by Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round itself. The Serbian maestro struggled throughout the match, particularly in the first and third sets, making an astonishing 37 unforced errors.
However, amidst these surprising eliminations, one player who stands out as the top contender for the tournament trophy is Carlos Alcaraz. He appears to be quite at ease with the challenging conditions and is aspiring to secure a win at this tournament for an impressive third consecutive time.
The former American tennis star, John Isner, in the latest episode of the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast, discussed Alcaraz’s prospects in this year’s tournament in California. He acknowledged Alcaraz as the front-runner, stating, “Carlos is definitely the odds-on favorite in this edition as well. He has claimed this tournament’s title two years consecutively, and the surface, despite this year’s change, favors his style of play. He demonstrates a level of comfort and dominance on these courts that he has consistently showcased over the past two years. It will undoubtedly be a tough task to defeat him, and I believe he will clinch the tournament once again.”
Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion who smoothly sailed past Halys in the second round, is set to compete against Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the upcoming round.
