Indian Wells tennis on Sky Sports: Jack Draper looks to defend title with Emma Raducanu also in action in 1000 event
Jack Draper won Indian Wells in 2025, beating Holger Rune in the final; British No 1 now back playing on ATP Tour after arm injury; Emma Raducanu set to wear Uniqlo gear in California after linking up with Japanese manufacturer; watch BNP Paribas Open live on Sky Sports until March 15
Wednesday 4 March 2026 06:59, UK
Tennis' Sunshine Double gets under way on Wednesday with the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells live on Sky Sports as fit-again British No 1 Jack Draper bids to defend his title.
Draper, now back playing on the ATP Tour after an arm injury curtailed his 2025 season and then delayed his start to 2026, beat Holger Rune in last year's final.
He also picked up the notable scalp of world No 1 and now seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semis after recovering from losing the second set 6-0.
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Draper will, like all seeded players, begin in round two, with third seed Novak Djokovic a potential last 16-opponent in California.
The first round begins on Wednesday, with coverage starting at 7pm UK, with the tournament running until March 15.
Mirra Andreeva is the defending women's champion after beating Aryna Sabalenka in 2025.
Which other Brits are involved at Indian Wells?
On the men's side, 14th seed Draper is joined by 27th seed Cameron Norrie - the 2021 Indian Wells champion - and another compatriot in the unseeded Jacob Fearnley, who plays Damir Džumhur in the opening round on Thursday.
Emma Raducanu - who has recently linked up again with coach Mark Petchey - is the 25th seed in the women's singles and will be in action in round two, in her new Uniqlo gear after recently switching from Nike to the Japanese manufacturer.
Fellow Brits Sonay Kartal and Fran Jones begin in round one, with world No 2 Iga Swiatek awaiting the latter should she make it through her opening match.
Katie Boulter had the chance to add her name to the list of British entrants but lost out in qualifying to Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva.
Sinner, Alcaraz, Sabalenka - who are the other big names playing?
Alcaraz is back at the top of the men's game, reclaiming the world No 1 spot at the end of 2025, before rubber-stamping his dominance in the men's game by clinching a career Grand Slam at the age of 22 by winning the Australian Open - his seventh major - earlier this year.
The Spaniard is a two-time Indian Wells champion, triumphing in 2023 and 2024, but lost to Draper in the semi-final stage last year.
World No 2 Jannik Sinner returns, having missed out on Indian Wells last year after accepting a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency.
His previous best at Indian Wells were semi-final runs in 2023 and 2024 where he was beaten on both occasions by his great rival Alcaraz.
Djokovic is a five-time winner in Indian Wells, although it's now 10 years since his last success in 2016, while the Serbian great suffered a shock second-round exit to Botic van de Zandschulp last year.
In the women's draw, reigning champion Andreeva is seeded eighth and will play either Peyton Stearns or Solana Sierra when her title defence begins in the second round.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is a twice-beaten finalist at Indian Wells, having also lost out to current Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in 2023, as well as to Andreeva last year.
World No 2 Swiatek, meanwhile, is a two-time winner of the event, in 2022 and 2024, and will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of successes.
Medvedev among players disrupted by Middle East crisis
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev are among the tennis players and team members to have seen travel plans disrupted as he tries to leave Dubai, due to the intensifying conflict between Iran and US-Israeli forces in the Middle East.
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, has just won the Dubai Tennis Championships after his scheduled opponent Tallon Griekspoor was forced to withdraw ahead of the final due to injury.
The former world No 1 had been scheduled to play in an exhibition event on Tuesday night, the Eisenhower Cup, a one-night Tie Break Tens doubles event alongside fellow Russian Mirra Andreeva on the eve of the Indian Wells main draw. American Amanda Anisimova had been paired with Rublev for the popular event.
Medvedev reposted a report from Russian-language tennis outlet Bolshe on Instagram on Monday confirming his safety after flights were cancelled.
Seeded 11th, Medvedev's first singles match is scheduled for Friday. Rublev, the 17th seed, is also scheduled to play on Friday.
What makes Indian Wells so special?
The BNP Paribas Open is widely viewed as tennis' unofficial fifth major due to its prestige and hefty fan attendance.
It is one of the Masters 1000 events across the ATP and WTA Tours, the rung below the Grand Slams.
So far in 2026, there have been two WTA 1000s, with Karolina Muchova triumphing in Qatar and Jessica Pegula in Dubai but this is the first ATP 1000 of the calendar year.
The Miami Open, which completes the Sunshine Double from March 17-29, is also a 1000 event on the ATP and WTA Tours.
Watch the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells live on Sky Sports from March 4-15. Stream tennis with NOW, contract-free.
