Rafael Nadal believes that his ability to adapt his game during matches has been a crucial factor behind his dominant start to the year, with the Spaniard arriving at the BNP Paribas Open holding a perfect 15-0 record on the season.

The 35-year-old has captured tour-level titles at the Melbourne Summer Set and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, while he won a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open, edging Daniil Medvedev in a five-set classic in the final.

“I have always been able to find a way to adapt my game when I have needed to become better,” Nadal said in his pre-tournament press conference in Indian Wells. “Some days I have played aggressively, some days I have played a little more defensively and more tactically.

“My serve has been working well, which is important at this stage in my career. Then I think I have been brave enough to play with the right determination when needed. I am just working hard to continue to improve, but I am happy with the level of tennis and intensity I am showing on court.”

Nadal has enjoyed a career-best start an ATP Tour season and has won his past 20 sets in a row, dating back to the Australian Open.

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However, the World No. 4’s strong start to the year has been even more impressive given the struggles he had with his foot in 2021, with the injury sidelining Nadal for five months.

“I tried to stay as positive as possible and that is it,” Nadal said when reflecting on his recovery. “We didn’t practise running or movement work [last year]. After Roland Garros, I couldn’t walk for two weeks. Then I was not ready to go to Washington or Toronto but I wanted to try. But the two months of training before that were terrible.

“Winning [at the Australian Open] was so important. But being competitive and enjoying the competition was what was so emotional for me, being able to play in a huge stadium with fans again.”

Nadal has fond memories in Indian Wells at the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the year, having lifted the trophy in 2007, 2009 and 2013. The fourth seed, who will begin his campaign against Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis or American Sebastian Korda, said that he has relished the opportunity to compete regularly on Tour again in recent months.

“I have been here for more than a week,” Nadal added. “I always enjoy it here. It is one of my favourite tournaments without a doubt. I take it day by day, just trying to enjoy the moment. It is unexpected for me to be in this position, so I am enjoying it every day and trying to enjoy the fact I am playing well. I have already won three titles this year and that is amazing for me.”

Following the release of the BNP Paribas Open men’s doubles draw, Australian Open champions Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios could face top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in a crunch second-round match in Indian Wells.

The Australian wild cards are teaming for the first time since their dream run to the title in Melbourne and will play Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in a tough first-round test.

Croatians Mektic and Pavic won nine tour-level titles in 2021, including three ATP Masters 1000 crowns. However, they are seeking their first trophy of the season in the California desert and play American wild cards John Isner and Jack Sock in their opening match.

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Second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, who captured their maiden Masters 1000 title together in Toronto in August, will face a stiff opening test against German pair Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies.

The American-British tandem are in the same half of the draw as third seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, who begin their campaign against Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Fabrice Martin. Mahut lifted the trophy in Indian Wells in 2016 with countryman Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

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Reigning champions John Peers and Filip Polasek are the fifth seeds and will take on Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer in the first round. The Slovakian-Australian team could meet fourth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the quarter-finals, with the Colombians starting against ATP Tour singles stars Sebastian Korda and Jannik Sinner.

Other singles players in action include Stefanos Tsitsipas, who will partner Feliciano Lopez, Hubert Hurkacz, who teams with Lukasz Kubot and Carlos Alcaraz, who joins forces with fellow Top 20 Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

Maxime Cressy, Marcos Giron and Mackenzie McDonald were just metres from the BNP Paribas Open locker room on Wednesday afternoon when they cracked up while posing for a group picture. It was just like old times.

This week, they are all competing in the main draw of the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event, one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world. But not long ago, all three were student-athletes at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a little more than a two-hour drive away.

“It’s pretty amazing that we have three guys in the Top 75 from the same school. We haven’t seen that in a while, I don’t think,” McDonald said. “It’s pretty cool. We have a little bit of variety with Max being a very different player than Marcos and I. I think it shows how strong of a school UCLA is, but also how strong college tennis can be. I think it’s a great route and I’m a big advocate for college tennis.”

There were several months when the trio was on campus at the same time. In the spring of 2016, former NCAA singles champion Giron was a volunteer assistant coach for the team while rehabbing from hip surgery. McDonald was a junior, who went on to win the NCAA singles title that year and Cressy was a freshman, who roomed with McDonald.

Now they are all in the Top 75 of the ATP Rankings and excited to put on a show on familiar turf in California.

There are plenty of former college players on the ATP Tour, including John Isner, Kevin Anderson and Steve Johnson. But having three players from the same school who were on campus together enjoying so much success has been a special experience for the former Bruins. According to Giron, it was not necessarily a given.

“It’s tough to say. I knew that we were good, I knew they were very good in college. But to what level we would get to on the Tour, you just don’t know,” Giron said. “There’s so many guys from juniors that were phenomenal — that you think they’re going to be like Top 30 in the world, no question — that didn’t make it.

“I knew the potential was there, but I didn’t know to what extent. And I still think the best is yet to come, to be honest.”

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World No. 72 Cressy has intrigued the tennis world in recent months with his aggressive serve-and-volley game, which helped him reach his maiden ATP Tour final at the Melbourne Summer Set, where he played Rafael Nadal.

But when he began his career at UCLA, he was not immediately touted like Giron and McDonald. Cressy was at the very bottom of the lineup his freshman year.

“I was recruited to be a doubles player. I was mainly playing doubles and most people saw me as a contributor to the team in doubles and not singles. Obviously I was not the one training on the bigger courts, Cressy said. “I was at the end playing on the back courts, but I always had the determination to get to the top part of the lineup. The fire within me was always there.”

Giron and McDonald — as well as other former UCLA student-athletes — have enjoyed watching Cressy’s rapid rise.

“It’s pretty interesting. I think it’s unexpected for sure. We all knew he had such a powerful game. I remember freshman year, his athleticism was remarkable. But the way he’s mentally put things together, found his way, really honed in on his skills and taken his own direction is admirable,” McDonald said. “He’s a very hard worker, he’s always been a hard worker. To see him put it all together and have the success he is having now is pretty amazing.”

While Cressy grew up in France, Giron and McDonald are both Californians. They were also UCLA teammates when Giron was a junior and McDonald was a freshman. They remain close friends and competing at home this week makes the experience even more special.

“I think it’s really cool for Marcos and I. I grew up playing tennis all over California and traveling to Southern California when I was super, super young, and I always looked up to Marcos,” McDonald said. “He went to UCLA before I did, and I remember being on the team and really looking up to him a lot and then watching him win NCAAs. That motivated me to do the same, follow his path and go pro. I think it’s so cool that we went through a lot of the same processes.”

Grant Chen was an assistant coach and then the associate head coach at UCLA during the time Giron, McDonald and Cressy were at the university. And the current Southern Methodist University head coach said that there is an unspoken bond on the professional tennis circuit.

“I think college tennis and team tennis are unlike any other component of tennis, which is normally such an individual sport,” Chen said. “I know some of Marcos’ greatest memories are when he goes on the road in Europe and sees an old UCLA classmate at events out there. I think it’s nice for these guys to have people whom they’re really familiar with and knew them long before they were Top 100 in the world to know how much they love this, how much they’ve wanted this.”

Chen added there is a UCLA tennis alumni WhatsApp chat featuring more than 130 former student-athletes from the school, including current doubles star Jean-Julien Rojer. The Bruins all support each other, which is something that has helped continue to motivate today’s stars.

“When you go to UCLA you’re inspired. I think we’re all inspired by the previous UCLA generations, by the coaching staff. I think also we push each other to succeed,” Giron said. “Whenever we see another guy do well, we’re happy for them and it makes us believe that we can do it also.”

For the first time, Daniil Medvedev enters a tournament as the man atop the ATP Rankings. But, as he matter-of-factly pointed out, it’s not the first time he’s the top seed at an event.

“I think it’s a lot of pressure, but at the same time a lot of motivation,” he said of the honour, speaking at a BNP Paribas Open pre-tournament press conference. “I’m going to try to do my best. It’s the same every tournament you play, try to gain as many points as possible. 

“Here it’s 1,000 points. But of course the draw is very tough, a lot of strong players, so it’s not easy to make it.”

The 25-year-old is a comfortable 1,100 ATP Ranking points above world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, and 150 above No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who will not be competing in Indian Wells or Miami this month.

His path to the title this week goes through a loaded top quarter of the draw which includes Stefanos Tsitsipas, defending champ Cameron Norrie, Gael Monfils and Carlos Alcaraz. Should he get through that gauntlet, he could face a third 2022 meeting with Rafael Nadal in the semis.

The Indian Wells title would give Medvedev five different Masters 1000 hard-court titles, and would present him with an opportunity to complete his collection of all six such trophies in Miami.

Medvedev has played just one event since his heartbreaking five-set loss to Nadal in the Australian Open finals, again falling victim to the red-hot Spaniard in the Acapulco semis.

“Playing at Acapulco… consciously, the Australian Open was by far over,” he reflected. 

“But I think unconsciously it still was somewhere there, especially playing against Rafa. Something was not right in my energy in that match. Maybe it’s [because of] this, maybe not.”

While he didn’t play his best tennis in Mexico, Medvedev still enjoyed the event, spending time on the Acapulco beaches and learning mid-tournament that he had clinched the top spot in the ATP Rankings. 

Three weeks after the AO final, Medvedev re-emerged at the ATP 500 event with a new perspective on his career. 

“I think it made me mature, the Australian Open, hopefully,” he reflected. “I understood I have a lot of room to work on myself.”

The idea of Medvedev continuing to improve — be it mentally or physically — will be a frightening one for the rest of the Tour, particularly on his favoured hard courts. While he can no longer improve his ATP Ranking, he appears ready to embrace the challenge of holding on to the top spot.

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The ATP Tour heads to Indian Wells for the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season at the BNP Paribas Open.

Daniil Medvedev will lead the field as the new World No. 1, with 19 of the Top 20 players in the ATP Rankings in action in the hard-court event. Rafael Nadal will look to extend his perfect 15-0 start to the season, while Stefanos Tsitsipas will be seeking his first title of the year.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch this week.

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1) BNP Paribas Open Returns To March: For the first time since 2019, the BNP Paribas Open will take place in the tournament’s regular March slot in the ATP Tour calendar. The Masters 1000 event was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, before it was moved to October last season, also because of the pandemic. The hard-court event, which takes place at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California, has been named the ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year in the ATP Awards a record seven times, receiving the honour once again in 2021.

2) New World No. 1 Medvedev: After climbing to the top of the ATP Rankings last month, Medvedev will compete as the World No. 1 for the first time in Indian Wells. The 26-year-old will be aiming to win the fifth Masters 1000 trophy. However, Medvedev has never been beyond the fourth round in four previous appearances at the event. He will look to change that in the next two weeks.

3) Nadal Perfect In 2022: Nadal has reminded everyone what he is capable of in the early weeks of 2022, clinching trophies at the Melbourne Summer Set, Australian Open and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. The 21-time major champion is 15-0 on the season and has fond memories in Indian Wells, where he triumphed in 2007, 2009 and 2013.

4) Rublev On Fire: Andrey Rublev arrives in Indian Wells off the back of a dream February, when he captured back-to-back titles in Marseille and Dubai. The World No. 6, who has won his past nine matches, reached the third round in California last season. The 24-year-old has won five ATP 500 crowns, but will be targeting his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells.

5) Berrettini, Tsitsipas & Zverev Seeking First Trophy Of 2022: Top 10 stars Matteo Berrettini, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are all aiming to win their first title of the season in Indian Wells. Berrettini reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open, while Tsitsipas advanced to the final in Rotterdam. Zverev’s best performance of the year was a run to the championship match in Montpellier.

Tsitsipas and Zverev recorded quarter-final showings in Indian Wells last year, while Berrettini lost in the third round.

6) Kyrgios & Murray Receive Wild Cards: Nick Kyrgios and Andy Murray will both be in action after receiving wild cards. Kyrgios soared to the Australian Open men’s doubles crown with Thanasi Kokkinakis and will make his fifth appearance in Indian Wells, with his highlight a quarter-final run in 2017.

Murray’s best result in the California desert came in 2009 when he advanced to the final. The Scot, who defeated #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in Indian Wells last year, reached the championship match in Sydney at the start of the season.

7) Reigning Champion Norrie: Cameron Norrie broke new ground when he clinched his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells last October. That victory helped him earn an alternate spot at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he played two matches.

The World No. 12 defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili in last year’s Indian Wells final to become the first British champion in the tournament’s 45-year history. Norrie has already tasted success in 2022, lifting the trophy in Delray Beach. The 26-year-old arrives at the BNP Paribas Open chasing more success on American soil.

8) #NextGenATP Stars In Action: Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinner will look to continue to make their mark on Tour in Indian Wells. Alcaraz became the youngest ATP 500 champion since the category was created in 2009 when he triumphed in Rio de Janeiro in February, while Sinner earned an impressive four tour-level titles in 2021. Musetti is still seeking his maiden tour-level trophy, but reached the quarter-finals in Pune and Rotterdam this season. All three are making their second appearance in Indian Wells.

9) Home Favourites To Watch: Home supporters in Indian Wells will need to be on high alert with 13 Americans (not including qualifiers) in the draw. World No. 20 Taylor Fritz will lead the charge, with Jenson Brooksby, Sebastian Korda and Brandon Nakashima exciting young talents to watch.

Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey and Jack Sock received wild cards, while Maxime Cressy will look to build on his strong start to the season following his run to the final at the Melbourne Summer Set. Toronto finalist Reilly Opelka will also be dangerous with his thunderous serve as he aims to go one step further in Indian Wells than he did at the Canadian Masters 1000 tournament.

Marcos Giron, John Isner, Mackenzie McDonald, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe make up the American contingent.

10) Mektic/Pavic Lead Doubles Draw: Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic will headline the field in the doubles draw, looking to clinch their first title of the season. The Croatians will face stiff competition from Toronto titlists Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, four-time Masters 1000 victors Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos and reigning Indian Wells champions John Peers and Filip Polasek. Singles stars Alcaraz and Pablo Carreno Busta will team, with Australian Open champions Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis also in action.

Fast-rising Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz is quickly becoming familiar with the inner workings of photoshoots. Recently he was the cover boy for Men’s Health and this week in Indian Wells he is participating in the joint ATP/WTA Super Shoot for the first time.

“It’s nice to experience these kinds of moments. It’s so different, off the court,” said the 18-year-old, who is already a member of the Top 20 in the ATP Rankings. “I like the photo shoots; it’s the other part of your work. For me it’s relaxing.

“I’m getting used to it a little bit more. Every tournament is a new shoot or new things to do.”

Featuring around 150 players, the shoot began Monday and remained intense Tuesday and Wednesday as players busily filed through various stations for photo, video, social and website needs.

World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev led the field Tuesday, joining the likes of Andrey Rublev, Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios, who rocked up in a purple Lakers’ hoodie. Wednesday’s lineup included Rafael Nadal, Matteo Berrettini, defending BNP Paribas Open champion Cameron Norrie, Alexander Zverev and Americans Sebastian Korda and Reilly Opelka.

All photos are Getty Images for ATP

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