In Indian Wells, tennis experienced a day full of surprises. The most notable was the elimination of Novak Djokovic, five-time champion of the tournament, at the hands of Dutchman Botic Van de Zandschulp. The latter defeated Djokovic in three sets, with a final score of 6-1, 3-6, and 6-1, in a match that lasted two hours. Van de Zandschulp, who had already surprised by eliminating Alcaraz at the US Open, will now face Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo, who won his match against Mackenzie McDonald after a tough battle.
Another surprise in the tournament was Andrey Rublev's defeat to Italian Matteo Arnaldi. Rublev lost in two sets, with a score of 6-4 and 7-5, and said goodbye prematurely to the tournament. On the other hand, young Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca fell to British player Jack Draper, losing the opportunity to become the youngest player to reach the third round since Rafa Nadal in Indian Wells.
In the women's circuit, world number one Aryna Sabalenka began her participation with a solid victory over McCartney Kessler. Coco Gauff, world number three, had to fight through a battle of more than two hours to defeat Moyuka Uchijima in three tight sets. Madison Keys, world number five and recent Australian Open champion, also advanced in the tournament after defeating Anastasia Potapova.
Meanwhile, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion in Indian Wells, managed to overcome the first round by defeating Quentin Halys in straight sets. Alcaraz expressed satisfaction with his game, although he acknowledged that he still has aspects to improve. "It wasn't easy to control emotions, control nerves. I was nervous at the beginning, I knew I had to be focused, stay calm, control the emotion and play good tennis," Alcaraz commented.
Overall, the Indian Wells tournament has been marked by surprises and emotions, with major tennis figures falling unexpectedly and new talents emerging in the competition.
