INDIAN WELLS: Carlos Alcaraz puts his flawless start to the season on the line and fellow top seed Aryna Sabalenka aims to regroup from Australian Open disappointment as Indian Wells begins this week.

Alcaraz arrives in the Southern California desert fresh off completing the career Grand Slam in Melbourne and carrying a 12-0 record for 2026.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, already a two-times champion at the prestigious event, could be headed for another high-profile showdown with rival Jannik Sinner in what has become the sport’s most compelling match-up.

“What’s interesting about Carlos and Jannik is that whenever one gains an edge, the other goes away, figures things out, and comes back better,” Tennis Channel analyst Prakash Amritraj told Reuters this week.

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, continues to defy expectations in the twilight of his career. The Serbian great stunned Sinner with a gritty five-set comeback win in Melbourne and remains a force at the biggest events.

“Djokovic managed to move the unmovable mountain that is Jannik Sinner,” Amritraj said.

“To come from behind in five sets, while also making the semis of all four majors last year, is hard to put into words.

Djokovic, a 24-times Grand Slam champion who has rewritten much of tennis history, could break his tie with Roger Federer for the most Indian Wells titles should he lift a sixth trophy.

On the women’s side, Belarusian power-hitter Sabalenka returns to action for the first time since her bid for a third Australian Open crown was halted by Elena Rybakina.

Despite several painful losses in title matches, Sabalenka has been the steadiest presence in a frequently unpredictable WTA landscape, reaching five of the past six Grand Slam finals.

“Sabalenka has been the most consistent player at that level,” Amritraj said.

“She hasn’t always crossed the finish line, but in my mind she is still the clear number one. Regardless of that loss to Rybakina in Australia, she’s my favourite here.”

The Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 main draws at Indian Wells, officially named the BNP Paribas Open, begin on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2026