Call it the Greek Connection.

Stefanos Tsitsipas says that his coaching partnership with Mark Philippoussis, an Australian with a proud Greek heritage, has been a resounding success. The former Wimbledon and US Open finalist joined Tsitsipas’ father Apostolos in the coaches’ box in the second half of last season. And the chemistry worked from the start.

“Mark is a very wise man, he has a lot of knowledge,” Tsitsipas said ahead of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open. “I think the fact that he’s lived these things himself on the tour and he’s able to provide some [advice] to me now is essential. He provides a lot of feedback. He can relate to a lot of things that have happened to me and sees a little bit of himself in me in some circumstances and situations.

“I very much enjoy this relationship that the two of us have. There’s so much compatibility in terms of team chemistry but also our philosophy behind the tennis we’re trying to pursue.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas practises at the 2023 Australian Open while Coach Mark Philippoussis watches on. Credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Boasting a 13-2 record in 2023, the Australian Open finalist turns his attention to the California desert, where he will be in action Friday against Australian Jordan Thompson, who Tsitsipas has defeated in both of their meetings (‘19 Washington, D.C., ‘22 Wimbledon).

Tsitsipas’ best result in Indian Wells was a quarter-final appearance in 2021, when he was ousted by eventual finalist Nikoloz Basilashvili. Set to compete for the first time since the ATP 500 in Rotterdam, the 24-year-old is thrilled to be back at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“This tournament always has such good energy,” Tsitsipas said. “The fans here are incredible. For me, it’s been a while since I’ve stepped on court and played a match. It’s great being back here.”

Tsitsipas shared that the 15 matches he’s played this year have taken a toll on his body. But that hasn’t stopped the nine-time tour titlist from competing during the Sunshine Double, where he has a chance to become World No. 1 following Miami if he wins one title and reaches another final during the stretch.

“I’ve had a lot of tennis the last couple months,” Tsitsipas said. “I think I’m paying the bill for it now, which is okay. I’m still very much in love with this game and I [made] the decision to come here and try my best.”

In a battle between two young guns on the ATP Tour, it was Jack Draper who prevailed at the BNP Paribas Open Thursday when he defeated #NextGenATP Swiss Leandro Riedi 6-1, 6-1 to move to the verge of the Top 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The 21-year-old, who competed at the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals, was dominant throughout the 57-minute encounter, striking 13 winners and committing four unforced errors to earn victory on his tournament debut.

Draper will next face countryman Daniel Evans as he looks to reach the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the second time. The Briton advanced to the quarter-finals in Montreal last year, losing to eventual champion Pablo Carreno Busta.

Draper is up five spots to No. 51 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings following his win against Riedi, who came through qualifying to make his ATP Masters 1000 debut. The 21-year-old Riedi is ninth in the Pepperstone Next Gen ATP Race following a strong start to the season which saw him reach the second round in Marseille.

Stan Wawrinka earned victory at the BNP Paribas Open for the first time since 2019 when he moved past Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 in Indian Wells.

The former World No. 3 Swiss last competed in the Californian desert four years ago, falling to Roger Federer in the third round. He ensured he made a winning return against Vukic, recovering from a second-set dip as he hit 17 winners to book his spot in the second round after one hour and 23 minutes.

Wawrinka, who arrived in Indian Wells off the back of quarter-final runs in Rotterdam and Marseille, will next play 26th-seeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic. The 37-year-old, currently No. 96 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, is making his 12th appearance at the hard-court event, with his best result a run to the championship match in 2017.

In other action, American Mackenzie McDonald downed Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-0 to set a meeting against seventh-seeded Dane Holger Rune.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev will begin their BNP Paribas Open campaigns Friday when the seeded stars enter the action at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells.

Second seed Tsitsipas faces Australian Jordan Thompson in the second round, while Medvedev aims to extend his 14-match winning streak when he takes on American Brandon Nakashima. Ruud will meet Argentine Diego Schwartzman.

Andrey Rublev, 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, German Alexander Zverev and Italian Matteo Berrettini are among the other seeds in action from the bottom half on Day 3 of the first Masters 1000 event of the season.

ATPTour.com runs through some of the key matchups on show in the Californian desert.

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[5] Daniil Medvedev vs. Brandon Nakashima [USA]

Medvedev arrives in Indian Wells in red-hot form, having sealed a hard-court title hat-trick in the past month. The fifth seed lifted trophies in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai, where he upset World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

The 27-year-old will be looking to maintain his performance levels at the hard-court event and improve on his record in Indian Wells, where he has failed to advance past the fourth round in six previous appearances.

His second-round opponent is 21-year-old Nakashima, who defeated John Isner in his opening match to earn his second tour-level win of the season. The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals champion is aiming to reach the third round in Indian Wells for the first time.

[2] Stefanos Tsitsipas [GRE] vs. Jordan Thompson [AUS]

Tsitsipas will compete for the first time since he lost in the second round in Rotterdam in February. The second-seeded Greek can rise to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time following the Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami, defending a combined 135 points from last year.

Tsitsipas, who reached the Australian Open title match in January, must win one trophy and reach one final during the swing to give himself a chance of reaching top spot for the first time, with his bid starting against Thompson.

“This tournament always has such good energy when you can play in these courts,” said Tsitsipas, who is seeking his third ATP Masters 1000 title this fortnight. “The fans are incredible. For me it has been a while since I stepped on a court and played a match, so it is great being back here. I might not be at the best with the way I am feeling on the court right now, but I am pleased to have the opportunity to compete.”

Thompson defeated the returning Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-1 in the first round, but enters the clash against Tsitsipas trailing the 24-year-old 0-2 in their ATP Head2Head series.

[3] Casper Ruud (NOR) vs. Diego Schwartzman (ARG)

Ruud has endured a disappointing start to the season, failing to advance beyond the second round in the three tour-level tournaments that he has played. The Norwegian will aim to turn his fortunes and his ATP Head2Head series record against Argentine Diego Schwartzman around when the pair meet.

Schwartzman, who leads Ruud 5-3, snapped a five-match losing streak when he defeated countryman Federico Coria 6-1, 6-2 in the first round. His best result in seven previous appearances in California came in 2021, when he advanced to the quarter-finals.

“This is sort of where it all starts again. It is the first Masters 1000,” Ruud said. “There are a lot of big events coming between now and November. You need to be ready for it and I feel ready, so let’s see how I can play.”

[6] Andrey Rublev vs. Jiri Lehecka [CZE]

As opening-round tests go, they don’t get much harder than facing World No. 47 Jiri Lehecka. The Czech, who reached the championship match at the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals, has enjoyed a standout start to the season. He reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and the semi-finals in Doha, where he defeated Rublev to level their ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.

Set on revenge, Rublev will be looking to improve on his 9-6 start to the season in California, where he has tasted success before. The 25-year-old reached the semi-finals in Indian Wells last year, defeating seeds Hubert Hurkacz and Grigor Dimitrov before falling to eventual champion Taylor Fritz.

Rublev arrives at the ATP Masters 1000 event off the back of a run to the final in Dubai, where he lost to Medvedev.

“I feel much better because I won some matches that I have not won before,” Rublev said when reflecting on his recent form. “I took some great victories. I feel much better. But here everything is different. It is a new tournament, a new continent.”

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Zverev made his return to Tour at the United Cup in January after missing the second half of last year due to a right ankle injury he suffered against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. After a slow start to the season, the German stepped up his level in Dubai last week, advancing to the semi-finals.

Zverev, who reached the quarter-finals in Indian Wells in 2021, will aim to build on his progress against Argentine Pedro Cachin, who defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili on debut.

The 10th seed Cameron Norrie captured the biggest trophy of his career in Indian Wells in 2021. The Briton, who enters the event following a title run in Rio de Janeiro last month, faces Chinese Taipei qualifier Tung-Lin Wu.

The 20th seed Matteo Berrettini plays Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel, while 14th seed Frances Tiafoe takes on Marcos Giron. The 21st seed Grigor Dimitrov faces Jason Kubler, with 25th seed Denis Shapovalov up against Ugo Humbert.

Roger Federer retired last year and former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka turns 38 later this month. But the future of Swiss men’s tennis appears in good hands.

Dominic Stricker made a splash last year by competing in the Next Gen ATP Finals. On Thursday, 21-year-old Leandro Riedi will make his ATP Masters 1000 debut at the BNP Paribas Open against Jack Draper after qualifying for the prestigious tournament on his first attempt at this level. He is up to No. 120 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

“It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a bit of a struggle in the beginning, the first six, seven months were not easy. From juniors to the pros, it’s a step,” Riedi told ATPTour.com. “But it was all worth it and now I’m feeling pretty well, especially the past couple months I’ve been pretty good and I really enjoy it.”

The 20-year-old Stricker and 21-year-old Riedi are new on the scene as #NextGenATP players, but they have known each other since early in their junior days. Riedi recalls that they first met in 2011. In January 2014, before they were teens, when they represented their country together in a team event. From that year on, they began training together every Wednesday at the Swiss Federation and became close friends.

While Stricker sprinted to success, Riedi watched from afar and used the lefty’s triumphs as fuel to continue his own climb.

“I’m definitely not the guy who’s a jealous guy or feel I’m under pressure now. Maybe a bit you have this feeling that if he does it, you have to do it as well,” Riedi said. “But for me it was all motivation and I was just happy for him that he played well. Of course at the same time you’re pretty motivated if he can do it, then I can do it as well. That was my mindset a bit.”

^{Riedi plays football after qualifying for Indian Wells. Photo credit: Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour.}
Mindset has proved key for Riedi. The Swiss admits that it is not his physical game that has held him back in the past. This year’s Canberra ATP Challenger Tour finalist, who nearly upset Hubert Hurkacz in Marseille, has battled against himself.

“Definitely mentally I’ve improved a lot in the past three months, four months, especially on court. I’ve improved a lot supporting myself, not destroying myself, because it’s already hard enough against those guys to play,” Riedi said. “And if you’re not helping yourself, it’s just so tough to win.”

Instead of moving on from a bad spot of form in a match, Riedi would dwell on it, exacerbating the issue. It would carry off the court, too.

“You’re alone on the court and if you [are very hard on] yourself there, it’s just really, really hard,” Riedi said. “And I felt when I started playing the Challengers and then I remember playing the qualies of the Swiss Indoors, I had some smell of what it’s like to be there and if you’re not on your ‘A’ game there mentally, you’re just not going to win. You can maybe win luckily. But to maintain it, it’s just not possible.”

Riedi’s former coach left him last year because he felt the Swiss needed to mature in his mental game. That proved a turning point for the rising star, who won back-to-back Challenger crowns in November.

“I don’t want to be that guy,” Riedi said. “I want to be the friendly guy and I guess the change happened. It’s working, it’s a lot of fun.”

The fun of the sport is what helped draw Riedi to tennis years ago. At a young age, the Zurich-born player preferred football to tennis. But by nine years old, he began competing in more tennis tournaments and enjoyed it. The travel became a perk as he has always liked visiting new places. In the past few years he even spent three months training in Delray Beach, Florida with Jose Antonio Fernandez, which he pointed to as another pivotal moment in his development

Now Riedi is competing on one of the biggest stages in the sport. He hopes to continue on his positive trajectory, with the goals of soon cracking the world’s Top 100 and qualifying for this year’s Next Gen ATP Finals. If the 21-year-old continues mastering his mind, those accomplishments could be well within reach.

“I still have stuff to improve on the tennis side as well, but everyone can play pretty good tennis here,” Riedi said. “Every match is so close and in the end I think it depends on the mental side, if you’re there or not. I just knew I could improve so much mentally if I’m really here. I can push more and see what I can do. If I still lose, I’m still happy with it.”

Fans of Frances Tiafoe might have noticed an Instagram Story he posted in which he wrote “Happy International Women’s Day”. It was just the latest example of the American uplifting women.

The 25-year-old spends a lot of time at WNBA games, wears WNBA jerseys and praises female athletes. Tiafoe has also enjoyed plenty of training sessions this year with WTA stars, including United Cup teammate Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.

“I think women should be appreciated for everything. They bring amazing kids into the world, they make the world a better place. They’re super hard-working and deserve to get the same notoriety, it’s just that simple,” Tiafoe said. “It’s a collective… Happy International Women’s Day. I’m happy for all the amazing women out there doing great things and I want to uplift all the women.”

On Monday evening, Tiafoe took to Stadium 1 at the BNP Paribas Open for a training session with Gauff.

“They give you a better rhythm, honestly,” Tiafoe said, cracking a laugh. “I hit with Coco that first day and I’ve been locked in ever since.”

The WTA stars have liked hitting with Tiafoe, too. Pegula and Tiafoe carried their routine sessions from the United Cup to the Australian Open.

“My nerves usually come out in practice where I’m not hitting well and I’m freaking out. And Frances is just so happy-go-lucky, the biggest hype person ever,” Pegula told the media during the Australian Open. “I’m a little bit more focused, which he needs, so I think it helps him in that way. And I think he likes hitting with me, he says, for the rhythm. He says he feels like the best player in the world when he hits with me.”

Tiafoe will begin his tournament in the California desert on Friday against countryman Marcos Giron.