By
SABC Sport
3rd March 2026
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz is in the same half as No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic, opening the possibility of a semi-final clash between the pair who contested the Australian Open final in January.
Defending champion Jack Draper is also in this half, meaning both Alcaraz and Djokovic could face him en route to a potential last-four showdown.
Djokovic could meet the dangerous Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in round two if the Frenchman defeats Kamil Majchrzak in his opening match.
In the bottom half, World No. 2 Jannik Sinner has been drawn in the same quarter as Ben Shelton, setting up a possible quarter-final between the two.
Sinner could also face Stefanos Tsitsipas in round three, with Joao Fonseca or Karen Khachanov possible fourth-round opponents.
The women's singles draw for Indian Wells has also been released, with World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka leading a stacked top half.
Returning after the Australian Open, Sabalenka could face Naomi Osaka in the fourth round and is projected to meet sixth seed Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-finals.
A potential semi-final showdown against fourth seed Coco Gauff looms in the top half, highlighting several high-profile clashes early in the tournament.
In the bottom half, second seed Iga Swiatek is set to share a quarter with eighth seed Mirra Andreeva, last year's champion, setting up a potential rematch of the 2025 final.
Swiatek could then face third seed and reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals. Other projected quarter-final match-ups include Coco Gauff vs Jasmine Paolini, Jessica Pegula vs Rybakina, and Andreeva vs Swiatek.
