Scouting Report: Alcaraz chases three-peat, Djokovic eyes title record in Indian Wells

The 2025 ATP Masters 1000 season kicks off across 12 days in Indian Wells as the ATP Tour’s finest compete at the BNP Paribas Open from 5-16 March.

Alexander Zverev and two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz headline the field in ‘Tennis Paradise’, where Novak Djokovic is chasing his record sixth men’s singles title.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch during the 2025 BNP Paribas Open.

1) Can Alcaraz clinch desert hat-trick?: Alcaraz is aiming to join Roger Federer and Djokovic as the only men to lift the trophy in three consecutive years at the BNP Paribas Open. The 21-year-old, who arrives in California with an 11-2 record for the season so far after winning in Rotterdam and reaching the quarter-finals in Doha during February, is chasing his sixth Masters 1000 title.

2) Djokovic seeks record sixth crown: If Djokovic can triumph at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the first time since 2016, he will move clear of Roger Federer as a record six-time champion. After injury forced him to retire from the Australian Open semi-finals in January, the 37-year-old Serbian fell to Matteo Berrettini in his comeback match in Doha two weeks ago. He will now hope to settle in quickly at an event where he holds a 51-10 record.

3) Top seed Zverev: Zverev will aim to bounce back from modest February returns when he competes as the top seed in the California desert. The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings went 4-3 across Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Acapulco last month. Germany’s Zverev is a two-time Indian Wells quarter-finalist, including in 2024 when he fell to eventual champ Alcaraz in a match that was memorably disrupted by a swarm of bees.

4) Can Medvedev find his magic touch?: Daniil Medvedev has brought some of his best tennis to each each of the past two editions of the BNP Paribas Open, where he reached the final both times before falling to Alcaraz. The World No. 6 could use another deep run in California to help kick-start his 2025 season: Medvedev is 8-5 for the year after his quarter-final exit in Dubai last week.

5) Fritz spearheads home charge: One man who does know the feeling of getting over the line in Indian Wells is Taylor Fritz. The Californian, who frequently visited the BNP Paribas Open during his childhood, overcame Rafael Nadal to win the biggest title of his career at the 2022 tournament. This year, the 27-year-old Fritz will compete at his home event at a career-high No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

6) Americans assemble: There is plenty of other home interest in the draw besides Fritz. Top 20 stars Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe are among those hoping to use local support to inspire a big Indian Wells run, as are Sebastian Korda and Alex Michelsen.

7) Top 10 threats: Stefanos Tsitsipas will arrive in Indian Wells with confidence restored following his successful trip to Dubai, where he on Saturday lifted his first title in nearly 11 months. His fellow Top 10 star Andrey Rublev also won a title across the Middle-East swing when he triumphed in Doha, and both Tsitsipas and Rublev will now bid to lift their maiden Masters 1000 crown on hard courts.

8) Fonseca, Tien lead #NextGenATP hopes: The BNP Paribas Open represents an opportunity for several #NextGenATP stars to earn big points in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. Current Live Race leader Joao Fonseca will make his event debut as a wild card, less than three weeks after lifting his maiden ATP Tour trophy in Buenos Aires. Home favourite Learner Tien, who reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and has already defeated Medvedev and Zverev this season, makes his main-draw debut.

9) Arevalo/Pavic headline doubles field: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic are the top seeds in the doubles draw at Indian Wells, where the Salvadoran-Croatian pair is chasing its first title of 2025. PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings leaders Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten are seeded second, while Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori seek their third ATP Tour trophy of the season.

10) Singles stars pull double duty: Some leading singles players are already confirmed to step onto the doubles court in Tennis Paradise. Home favourites Alex Michelsen and Ben Shelton will compete together, as will 2024 Mutua Madrid Open champions Sebastian Korda/Jordan Thompson.