Milos Raonic has experienced some of tennis’ highest highs. A former World No. 3 and Grand Slam finalist, the Canadian has played on all the biggest stages against some of the best players in history. The eight-time ATP Tour champion owns multiple wins against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka. But the 29-year-old is still hungry for more.

“It’s hard to define success because it changes so many times. Once you achieve a specific goal, then you always want more and then you don’t feel you are successful,” Raonic told ATPTour.com. “I think everybody has a personal idea of it. But have I achieved success to this point? I don’t think so.”

Raonic has faced plenty of obstacles throughout his career, with injuries affecting almost every part of his body, including his right hip, right foot, left wrist, back, right elbow, glute, thigh, right ankle, right calf and right knee. Currently No. 30 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Raonic is far from where he wants to be, and he is defending 360 points at next week’s BNP Paribas Open, where he made the semi-finals last year.

But Raonic is healthy, and he says that’s a good place to start as he pushes for a return to the top of the sport.

“It just gives you peace of mind, especially with how much I’ve struggled over the past few years with injuries. Also, it just gives me continuity,” Raonic said. “I don’t have to stop to recover any kind of ailment and I can just have continuous training. I also don’t have to push as hard because I have that continuity and I can work more on sustaining and maintaining my level and making little steps here and there throughout the season.”

Raonic is meticulous and process-driven. He believes that stems from his childhood, as both his father, Dusan and mother, Vesna, are engineers.

“Math was a big part of our lives growing up and that’s a process as well. You try to look at things as rationally and as logically as possible. I think that kind of association, that perspective on things, made a big difference for me because there were moments where I would get very emotional and frustrated or positive or negative about things. But those moments were hard to always justify,” Raonic said. “It could just be a feeling and sometimes, if you can’t explain those feelings to yourself, it can get out of hand. It could get out of control. So for me, the rationalisation of a process has been a very grounding thing. It’s not just in my tennis. It’s in every aspect of my life that I perceive things that way.”

The 29-year-old isn’t rushing for one deep run at a big event, although he’d be happy to earn one.

“What motivates me is the pursuit to improve and get better each and every day,” Raonic said. “I know if I could achieve those things on a day-to-day basis, I will achieve my goals.”

Raonic’s Five Most Recent Indian Wells Results

Step by step, day by day, the Canadian is trying to improve. Even if Raonic gets one per cent better at one stroke or aspect of his game per day, he feels that will add up to a noticeable improvement throughout the season. 

“The most enjoyable parts are going out and competing, but I think the [key is the] process before that of becoming a better tennis player, becoming a better athlete,” Raonic said. “Whether that be on the court or in the gym or on the track, wherever that may be, I think [it’s about] that process that goes in day-in and day-out.

“[It’s] where you have an idea, you have a path you’re trying to take and you hope that could get you closer to those moments when you go step out to compete with players of all levels, the best at the big events or against whomever it may be. You could give your best and you could feel like you’re a better tennis player each and every day.”

Raonic hasn’t always had the mindset he does today. The Canadian admits that early in his career it was the opposite before he realised he had to make a change.

“There were a lot of times that I lost matches that I was very disappointed about, where I would get emotional. I would get disappointed, I would get negative on court and the rationale behind it was [me thinking], ‘Sometimes you’re just your own worst enemy,’” Raonic said. “I decided [that] to get the best out of myself I have to try to put that aside as much as possible and try to be able to identify things throughout a match, throughout my season, from week to week, and that’s sort of where that rationale kicked in.”

Raonic isn’t guessing that this mentality works; it’s proven successful for him in the past. Even if he goes through a rough patch of results, he’s still going to focus on the process.

“After you lose a match, you can sometimes get so narrowed in on what happened over the past hour and a half, two hours, three hours or however long it is,” Raonic said. “I think it’s important that you can step back and try to see the big picture of things. [It’s about] if you can be honest with yourself and tell yourself, ‘Hey, I’m playing better.’”

Fans saw glimpses of Raonic at his best at this year’s Australian Open. He didn’t lose a set en route to his fifth Melbourne quarter-final in the past five years. The big-serving Canadian did not lose serve in his first four matches — including wins against Cristian Garin, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Marin Cilic — and only eventual champion Novak Djokovic was able to stop him.

“It was an important and positive start for me, I think. I only played about three matches since Wimbledon last year to finish off the season. Came into Doha, lost early in that tournament. Was hoping to do better there,” Raonic said. “But then by the time I got into the Australian Open, practising with other players and these kinds of things, I started to feel more comfortable and I had a good run there.”

Raonic is now feeling good on and off the court. He has long enjoyed success at Indian Wells, advancing to at least the semi-finals in his past four appearances. In the desert, he’ll hope to take another step in his journey back to the top.

“If you do the right things, if you do put in the work, if you do stay dedicated and disciplined, those good moments catch up to you and you sort of flip a switch,” Raonic said. “You aren’t sure exactly how it happened or why it happened, but everything just starts to feel a little bit easier. When you have those moments, you really appreciate them and you try to make them last as long as possible.”

Novak Djokovic is 18-0 to start the 2020 season. Impressive. He has also won 17 of the past 18 tie-breaks he has played dating back to the 2019 Wimbledon final. Possibly even more impressive.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Djokovic’s dominance as the No. 1 player in the world reveals that his recent body of work has been rock solid, but his unwavering ability to finish what he started at the end of sets is from another world.

Djokovic sits atop the career Infosys ATP Stats Under Pressure Leaderboard. Tie-break performance is part of the overall metric, and Djokovic sits in 13th place with career tie-breaks won at 64.5 per cent. He has ratcheted that up to perfection mode in the first two months of this season. 

The World No. 1 has played eight tie-breaks in 2019 and has won them all. His first match of the season at the ATP Cup was a 7-6(5), 7-6(6) victory over South Africa’s Kevin Anderson. The Serb saved a set point at 5/6 in the second-set tie-break and rolled from there. Djokovic then defeated Denis Shapovalov 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) in the quarter-finals and Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6(4) in the final to set the tie-break tone for January and February.

In the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-final last week, Djokovic defeated Gael Monfils 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-1, coming back from 3/6 in the tie-break to save three consecutive match points and run away with the match in the third set.

So just how does Djokovic do it? How does the Super Serb play so even in a set with an opponent to get to a tie-break, then win 17 of 18 on the trot?

This jaw-dropping run started at the 2019 Wimbledon final, where Djokovic defeated Federer 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3), with a 12-point tie-break played at 12-12 in the fifth set.

How Djokovic crafted his winning strategy in those three tie-breaks is the blueprint he employs for all of them. It’s about staying the course, playing the big points on his terms, trading baseline blows and not trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat or relying on spectacular shotmaking to cross the finish line.

Tie-breaks are about not missing, and making the opponent uncomfortable having to hit one more shot in a pattern of play that they don’t really want to be in. Turning the screws is what the five-time Indian Wells champion relies on the most in the big moments.

For example, the three tie-breaks in the Wimbledon final against Federer contained 33 points. The following breakdown should stop you in your tracks.

2019 Wimbledon Final: Three Tie-Breaks (33 points)
Forehand & Backhand Errors (excluding returns)
• Djokovic = 1
• Federer = 19

Djokovic committed just one solitary forehand groundstroke error leading 5-1 in the second set tie-break. As a stark comparison, Federer led 5-3 in the first set tie-break and committed four straight groundstroke errors. Overall Federer hit seven winners and committed 20 total errors in the three tie-breaks while Djokovic committed just five errors (four return) and collected just two winners.

That’s what lockdown looks like on a tennis court.

Outside of the tie-breaks, Federer won 13/15 points serving and volleying and 51/65 points approaching the net from a baseline position. The net was Federer’s wheelhouse. But in the 33 total points in all three tie-breaks, Federer won just one point at the net from two trips forward.

Twenty of the 33 points (61%) were contested with both Djokovic and Federer standing at the baseline. Djokovic won 16 of them. Eight rallies reached double digits and Djokovic won six.

Tie-breaks are all about fastening the hatches and putting the ball in play. Don’t beat yourself. Make the opponent tap out chasing shots at the extremities of their competence. Djokovic is in a class of his own right now and his perfect start to the season is a reflection of his perfect record in tie-breaks.

Editor’s Note: Craig O’Shannessy is a former member of Novak Djokovic’s coaching team.

AUSTRALIA leads BRAZIL 2-0

Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, AUS (hard – outdoor)

#NextGenATP Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild carried the momentum of his triumph at the Chile Dove Men+Care Open into his battle against Aussie veteran John Millman on Friday in Davis Cup Qualifiers, serving for the match in the second set. But Millman never stopped battling, rallying past the 19-year-old 4-6, 7-6(0), 6-2 to give his country a 2-0 lead against Brazil.

“One of my most memorable [wins], without a doubt. You can have all the individual success you want, but, for me, I’ve said it on multiple occasions, the epitome is playing for your country, and that’s really special,” Millman told DavisCup.com. “I’m just glad Lleyton trusted me to give me the call-up and I could not just do it for the country, but do it for the team.”

Seyboth Wild was within two points of victory on his serve on two occasions. But Millman played his steadiest tennis in the key moments, earning the win after two hours and 51 minutes to give Australia a 2-0 lead.

In the day’s first match, Jordan Thompson defeated Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 24 minutes. The Aussie had lost his only previous match against a lefty this season when Albert Ramos-Vinolas beat him in Adelaide. But Thompson found good form against the Brazilian to give his country the advantage.

Thompson broke serve on four of five opportunities, while saving six of the eight break points he faced.

CROATIA leads INDIA 2-0

Venue: Dom Sportova, Zagreb, CRO (hard – indoor)

Former World No. 3 Marin Cilic gave Croatia a strong 2-0 lead on the first day of Davis Cup Qualifiers, battling past 2018 Newport finalist Ramkumar Ramanathan 7-6(8), 7-6(8).

“Ramanathan played a great match today, he served really well and allowed me no breaks of serve,” Cilic told DavisCup.com. “I tried to do my own things well at my end of the court but as ever it’s difficult to play against an opponent with nothing to lose.”

Cilic moves to 7-4 at tour-level this season after crushing 18 aces and winning 85 per cent of his first-serve points. The World No. 37 triumphed after two hours and 12 minutes.

Earlier in the day his countryman, Borna Gojo, rallied past Prajnesh Gunneswaran 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 57 minutes. It was Gojo’s first tour-level win.

ITALY leads KOREA, REP. 2-0

Venue: Circolo Tennis Cagliari, Cagliari, ITA (clay – outdoor)

Fabio Fognini and Gianluca Mager did not drop a set in their singles matches on Friday, propelling Italy to a 2-0 lead against South Korea.

Fognini defeated Duckhee Lee 6-0, 6-3, and then Mager beat Ji Sung Nam 6-3, 7-5.

“I’m very happy to win for my country,” Mager told DavisCup.com. “It was a very difficult match, but I fight every point, I won and I’m happy.”

World No. 11 Fognini is the highest-ranked player in the FedEx ATP Rankings competing this weekend. The Italian only needed 64 minutes against Lee, breaking serve six times in his victory.

This tie is being played without fans in the stands due to coronavirus concerns.

SWEDEN tied with CHILE 1-1

Venue: The Royal Tennis Hall (Kungl. Tennishallen), Stockholm, SWE (hard – indoor)

Mikael Ymer, a 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor, helped Sweden earn a split on the first day of play in Stockholm against Chile. Ymer, a 21-year-old at a career-high FedEx ATP Ranking of No. 67, defeated Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2, 6-3.

But Alejandro Tabilo levelled the tie at 1-1, beating the older Ymer brother, Elias Ymer, 6-4, 6-3.

AUSTRIA tied with URUGUAY 1-1

Venue: Steiermarkhalle Schwarzlsee, Graz I Premstätten, AUT (hard – indoor) 

Pablo Cuevas had to dig deep into the experience that once carried him into the world’s Top 20 on Friday, scratching past #NextGenATP Austrian Jurij Rodionov 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-6(5) in two hours and 49 minutes.

Rodionov came into the match with plenty of confidence after winning two ATP Challenger Tour titles in February. But World No. 60 Cuevas hit 12 aces and did not face a break point in his win, putting Uruguay on the board.

Earlier on, World No. 85 Dennis Novak cruised past Martin Cuevas 6-2, 6-4.

ECUADOR leads JAPAN 2-0

Venue: Bourbon Beans Dome, Miki, JPN (hard – indoor)

Both Japanese players in action on Friday held a higher FedEx ATP Ranking than either Ecuadorian man competing. But that did not stop Ecuador from taking a 2-0 lead against Japan, the home favourites.

World No. 151 Emilio Gomez clawed past Go Soeda 7-5, 7-6(3) to give his country the advantage, before World No. 276 Roberto Quiroz beat Top 100 player Yasutaka Uchiyama 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-6(8) to move Ecuador within one victory of advancing to Madrid for the Davis Cup Finals.

GERMANY tied with BELARUS 1-1

Venue: Castello Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, GER (hard – indoor)

Big-hitting Jan Lennard Struff got Germany off to a strong start against Belarus with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Ilya Ivashka, but it was not enough to keep his country in the lead at the end of the day.

Egor Gerasimov battled past veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) to level the tie at 1-1. Gerasimov has been in the best form of his career in 2020, reaching a career-high World No. 65 in February. The Belarusian saved four of the five break points he faced to triumph after two hours and 38 minutes.

KAZAKHSTAN tied with NETHERLANDS 1-1

Venue: National Tennis Center, Nur-Sultan, KAZ (hard – indoor)

Kazakhstan and the Netherlands are level at one rubber apiece after Friday’s play in Kazakhstan.

Dutchman Robin Haase won a battle of veterans against Mikhail Kukushkin, navigating past the Kazakhstani 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3. Kukushkin had won the pair’s two previous ATP Head2Head meetings, six years ago in Winston-Salem and last season in Rotterdam. But Haase hit 10 aces and broke four times to give his country the edge.

Alexander Bublik turned it around for Kazakhstan with a razor-tight 7-6(4), 7-6(4) victory against Tallon Griekspoor. World No. 51 Bublik is just four spots off his career-high FedEx ATP Ranking.

CZECH REPUBLIC leads SLOVAKIA 2-0

Venue: AXA Arena NTC, Bratislava, SVK (clay – indoor)

The Czech Republic doesn’t have stalwarts Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek competing any longer, with both men recently retiring. But the country still leads Slovakia 2-0 in their Davis Cup Qualifier.

Lefty Jiri Vesely, who lifted his second ATP Tour title in Pune this year, beat Jozef Kovalik 6-3, 7-5. Lukas Rosol, who stunned Rafael Nadal at 2012 Wimbledon, then defeated Andrej Martin 6-4, 6-4 to extend the Czech Republic’s lead.

BELGIUM leads HUNGARY 1-0
Venue: Fonix Hall, Debrecen, HUN (clay – indoor)

Belgium and Hungary will head into Saturday action with their tie level at one rubber each.

Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans worked hard to beat Rio Open presented by Claro semi-finalist Attila Balazs 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4 on the Hungarian indoor clay. But Hungarian No. 1 Marton Fucsovics battled back for his country with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win against Kimmer Coppejans.

Fucsovics got off to a strong start to his season with a trip to the fourth round of the Australian Open. He converted five of the six break points he earned against Coppejans.

COLOMBIA v ARGENTINA
Venue: Palacio de los Deportes, Bogotá, COL (clay – indoor)

USA v UZBEKISTAN
Venue: Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, USA (hard – indoor)

Following the direction and guidance of Dr. David Agus, Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California, and Martin Massiello, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Eisenhower Health, the BNP Paribas Open is taking action to continue prioritizing the health and safety of the fans, athletes, and everyone involved with the tournament.

First and foremost, any patron who has purchased tickets directly from the tournament may request a refund for the 2020 tournament, or a credit for the 2021 tournament. Patrons can visit www.bnpparibasopen.com/coronavirus to request a refund or credit.

Additional actions include:
–More than 250 hand sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the facility
– Players will be required to manage their own towel on court and ball kids will not touch or move player towels. A chair will be placed at the back of the court for them to place their towel on for usage during the match
– Ball kids will wear gloves
– Restaurant and food supply workers will wear gloves
– Volunteers taking tickets at entrances will wear gloves
– N95 masks are being secured for first aid and health personnel to be prepared for any circumstances that would necessitate the use thereof
– Organised player and fan interaction will be limited at the tournament
– All common areas throughout the facility will be cleaned daily with an antiviral application
– Coordinating with local hospital and CDC approved testing for all individuals with symptoms

Further actions are being considered and evaluated on a daily basis in order to continue to ensure the safety of everyone associated with the event.

Please visit www.bnpparibasopen.com/coronavirus for updates.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and defending champion Dominic Thiem are set to be the top three seeds when the BNP Paribas Open gets underway next week in Indian Wells. The draw for the first ATP Masters 1000 of the 2019 season will be made Tuesday afternoon at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, and main draw action will begin Thursday. 

Djokovic is attempting to win this tournament for a record sixth time. Though he made an early exit last year, falling to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round, the World No. 1 returns to the Coachella Valley in top form. The Serbian has a perfect 18-0 season record, following triumphs at the inaugural ATP Cup, the Australian Open and last week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

BNP Paribas Open Announces Coronavirus Countermeasures

Nadal, a three-time BNP Paribas Open champion, also enters Indian Wells on a winning streak after recently claiming the ATP 500 title at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. The World No. 2 owns a record 35 Masters 1000 titles, one more than Djokovic, in addition to a record 384 match wins at the Masters 1000 level. 

Thiem, who reached a career-high No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday, clinched his first ATP Masters 1000 title here last year as he battled back to defeat five-time champion Roger Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Thiem was one of three first-time Masters 1000 winners in 2019, along with Fabio Fognini (Monte-Carlo) and Daniil Medvedev (Cincinnati, Shanghai). 

The 2020 field will feature 19 of the Top 20 players, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Matteo Berrettini, Gael Monfils and #NextGenATP Canadians Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Monfils, World No. 14 Andrey Rublev and No. 18 Cristian Garin have all won two ATP titles this season.

Here’s all you need to know about the Indian Wells tennis tournament: what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won and more. 

Established: 1976

Tournament Dates: 12-22 March 2020

Tournament Director: Tommy Haas

Draw Ceremony: Tuesday, 10 March 2020 at 1pm PT at Stadium Plaza

Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: 10-11 March at 11am 
* Main draw: Thursday, 12 March – Friday, 20 March at 11:00am and 6:00pm on all courts (Doubles main draw starts Friday, 13 March)
* Singles semi-finals: Saturday, 21 March at 11:00am and 1:00pm
* Doubles final: Saturday, 21 March, not before 5:00pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 22 March, not before 3:30pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV 
TV Schedule

Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Main Court Seating: 16,100

Prize Money: USD $8,761,725 (Total Financial Commitment: USD $9,735,685) 

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer (5)
Most Titles, Doubles: Guy Forget (5)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 35, in 2017
Youngest Champion: Boris Becker, 19, in 1987
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Jimmy Connors in 1976, Jim Courier in 1993, Pete Sampras in 1994-95, Lleyton Hewitt in 2002-03, Roger Federer in 2004-06, Rafael Nadal in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in 2015-16
Lowest-Ranked Champion (since 1982): No. 143 Larry Stefanki in 1985
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (66) 

Hot Shots From 2019 BNP Paribas Open

2019 Finals
Singles: [7] Dominic Thiem (AUT) d [4] Roger Federer (SUI) 36 63 75   Read & Watch
Doubles: Nikola Mektic (CRO) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) d [6] Lukasz Kubot (POL) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) 46 64 10-3  Read More 

Social
Hashtag: #BNPPO20 #TennisParadise

Facebook: @BNPPARIBASOPEN
Twitter: @BNPPARIBASOPEN
Instagram: @bnpparibasopen

Did You Know… The BNP Paribas Open has been voted by players as the best ATP Masters 1000 tournament for a record-breaking sixth time in the 2019 ATP Awards. Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is the second largest in the world, with more than 16,000 seats and 44 suites. In 2014, the tournament debuted a brand new, permanent 8,000-seat Stadium 2, which offers spectators a chance to dine at Nobu while watching the action on court. The BNP Paribas Open is the only tournament to feature Hawk-Eye on all match courts for both main draw and qualifying matches.

Many eyes will be on the battle for World No. 1 during the BNP Paribas Open, as Novak Djokovic tries to maintain the top spot, and World No. 2 Rafael Nadal attempts to take it from him. But there will be plenty of opportunities for Top 20 shake-ups in Indian Wells.

Seven of the Top 20 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings will be defending 10 points or less at the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the year. Another five Top 20 players are only defending 45 points in the desert, so a deep run for those competitors could pay big dividends.

World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, who reached a tour-leading nine finals last season, maintained his momentum by winning seven of his first eight matches in 2020. He’s cooled down since, losing three of his past four, but the Russian has a chance to turn it around at Indian Wells, where he is defending only 45 points.

Medvedev could potentially return to his career-high No. 4 with a strong performance in the desert. When 2019 Indian Wells points dro, Medvedev will trail Roger Federer by 185 points. Sidelined after right knee surgery, Federer will be unable to defend the 600 points he earned by reaching last year’s final, giving two-time Masters 1000 champion Medvedev the opportunity to overtake the Swiss by reaching the semis.

Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas (10), Australian Open semi-finalist Alexander Zverev (45), Matteo Berrettini (10) and David Goffin (10) are the other Top 10 players defending 45 points or less at the BNP Paribas Open.

Tsitsipas, who enters Indian Wells with 4,745 points and Zverev, who has 3,630 points, cannot climb higher in the FedEx ATP Rankings regardless of how well they perform. But they could put a gap between themselves and the other Top 10 players behind them.

One player arriving in California in tremendous form is World No. 9 Gael Monfils. Although he has the same number of points as Berrettini (2,860), the Frenchman will be made to work to surpass the Italian. Monfils, who is 16-3 on the season after reaching the Dubai semi-finals, advanced to the Indian Wells quarter-finals last year. He is defending 180 points at this event.

Since Berrettini is only defending 10, he has a 170-point advantage over this year’s Montpellier and Rotterdam champion.

An interesting battle could shake up for World No. 10. With 10 2019 Indian Wells points dropping, World No. 10 David Goffin will lead World No. 11 Fabio Fognini by 155 points and World No. 12 Roberto Bautista Agut by 195 points. A big performance by Fognini or Bautista Agut could see either man make a jump.

It will also be a critical event for World No. 15 Karen Khachanov, a 2019 quarter-finalist who is defending 180 points. If he earns an equal or lesser result compared to Denis Shapovalov and Stan Wawrinka, they will leapfrog him on 23 March. Others including Cristian Garin and Grigor Dimitrov are also within striking range, as neither man competed in Indian Wells last year.

World No. 29 Hubert Hurkacz, No. 30 Milos Raonic and No. 47 Miomir Kecmanovic all have a large chunk of points to defend, leaving open the possibility they could drop several spots if they don’t retain those points. Hurkacz and Kecmanovic both made the quarter-finals (180 points) last year, and Raonic reached the semi-finals (360 points).