The doubles draw at the BNP Paribas Open has delivered several intriguing matchups, with top singles stars entering the competition alongside established doubles specialists. Among the most eye-catching partnerships are Novak Djokovic teaming up with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jannik Sinner joining forces with Reilly Opelka.

Sinner and Opelka are set for a challenging opening-round clash against top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos. Meanwhile, Djokovic and Tsitsipas will face defending champions and third seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in what promises to be another high-profile encounter.

The Sinner-Opelka pairing has already enjoyed success in the past. The duo captured the doubles title at the Atlanta Open in 2021, defeating Jordan Thompson and Steve Johnson in the final. Interestingly, that victory remains the only doubles title of Sinner’s professional career so far. They were also expected to reunite at the Miami Open in 2022, but Opelka had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. Now, nearly five years later, the pair are back together again with hopes of repeating their earlier success.

Granollers and Zeballos, however, will present a stern test. The experienced duo has already reached the Australian Open semi-finals and the Dallas final this season, and they currently sit near the top of the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings.

Djokovic and Tsitsipas face an equally daunting task. Their first-round opponents, Arevalo and Pavic, lifted the Indian Wells doubles trophy in 2025 without dropping a set. On their way to the title, they defeated four teams largely made up of singles players, including Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson in the final.

Tsitsipas could enter the match particularly motivated after his early singles exit at the hands of Denis Shapovalov earlier this week. Djokovic, meanwhile, continues his singles campaign as the third seed and will open against Kamil Majchrzak on Saturday.

With several top singles players entering the doubles draw this year, the trend has sparked discussion across the tennis world. Former coach Brad Gilbert even suggested a special reward for anyone capable of achieving success in both formats. Posting on X, Gilbert wrote, “I would like to see 2 million bonus if someone wins singles and doubles at IW been a very long time since someone won both on the men’s side.”

The last player to achieve that rare double at Indian Wells was Jim Courier, who captured both the singles and doubles titles back in 1991. With star power now flooding the doubles draw once again, fans will be watching closely to see if history can repeat itself. Can anyone between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic achieve this historic milestone at Indian Wells this year?

Jannik Sinner is chasing his sixth Masters 1000 title

Jannik Sinner arrives at Indian Wells with renewed focus after a slow start to the 2026 season. The Italian star is now targeting his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title and his first in the California desert as the BNP Paribas Open gets underway.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Sinner explained how he and his team have been working intensely to refine different aspects of his game during practice. “I think we are always trying to progress with our games,” Sinner said in his pre-tournament press conference. “I feel like we are doing a great job. It has been a very hard practice week here for me. We spent many, many hours of practice.”

One of the key adjustments involves adding more aggression to his already powerful baseline game. The world No. 2 believes the tweak could help him take control of points more consistently during the tournament. “[I am] very happy with how I’m feeling on the court, and obviously we try to go as far as possible in the tournament,” Sinner said. “In the same time, we also try to improve a couple of things. I’m trying to be slightly more aggressive at times on the baseline, and then we see how it goes.”

Jannik Sinner enters the event as a two-time semi-finalist at Indian Wells and begins his campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. He will face Dalibor Svrcina in the first match.

If the draw unfolds as projected, Sinner could meet Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round before a possible fourth-round clash against either Tommy Paul or Karen Khachanov. The quarterfinal stage could feature tough opponents such as Jakub Mensik, Ben Shelton, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, or rising American Learner Tien. A potential semifinal could see Sinner take on Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti, or Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Should he reach the final, the Italian may have to overcome some of the biggest names in the sport, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, or Alexander Bublik.

Meanwhile, Djokovic is also preparing for a challenging route in the tournament. The Serbian star could open his campaign against Kamil Majchrzak in the second round and may later face Hubert Hurkacz or Corentin Moutet in the third round. A possible fourth-round encounter with defending champion Jack Draper could present Djokovic’s first major test. If he progresses further, potential quarterfinal opponents include Medvedev, Fritz, or Tien.

Novak Djokovic recently spoke about the confidence he gained after defeating Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals earlier this year. “It was an incredible feeling to beat Jannik,” Djokovic said. “I have proven to myself that I can compete at the highest level and beat these guys. I still have the spark and the motivation. I’m world no. 3, and I want to keep going.”

With the men’s draw stacked with elite talent, Sinner will need to navigate a demanding path if he hopes to capture his sixth Masters 1000 trophy and finally lift the title at Indian Wells. Do you think the Italian can outshine the likes of Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz and win the title this season?