Indian Wells Sets Blockbuster Draws
The 2026 BNP Paribas Open features Novak Djokovic landing in the same half as world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, setting up a potential semifinal blockbuster. On the women's side, Coco Gauff faces a "gauntlet" draw with early obstacles including Bianca Andreescu and Alex Eala, while defending champion Jack Draper could meet Djokovic as early as the fourth round.
The champion at Indian Wells this year will take home $1,151,380 and 1,000 ranking points. The total prize money for the combined men's and women's event is $18,831,450. Novak Djokovic is tied with Roger Federer for the most men's singles titles at Indian Wells, with five championships each. However, Djokovic hasn't won the title since 2016 and has not advanced past the round of 16 in his last few appearances. He holds a tournament record of 20 consecutive wins between 2014 and 2017. Carlos Alcaraz is coming off a stellar 2025 season where he won 71 matches and finished as the year-end No. 1 for the second time. His successful year included winning his second consecutive French Open and his second US Open title. In 2025, Alcaraz was attempting to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open and was the two-time defending champion at Indian Wells before being defeated by David Goffin. Jack Draper, the defending champion, became the fifth British man to win an ATP Masters 1000 title with his victory here in 2025. That win propelled him into the world's top 10 for the first time, reaching a career-high of No. 7. In the 2025 semifinal, Draper defeated the two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Coco Gauff holds a 1-0 head-to-head record against her potential second-round opponent, Bianca Andreescu. Gauff's path could also include a third-round match against 20-year-old Alex Eala from the Philippines. Eala recently achieved a career-high ranking of No. 31 and is making her main draw debut at Indian Wells.
