Indian Wells 2026 is already giving us real matches. Not “warm-up tennis.” Real stuff.
Wednesday’s card had a big-name upset, a few tight finishes, and a reminder that the desert can reward the players who serve big and stay calm.
Read on for the Wednesday Indian Wells 2026 recap and the matches we’re looking forward to on Thursday, March 5.
What happened Wednesday (March 4)
Denis Shapovalov knocks out Stefanos Tsitsipas
Shapovalov beat Tsitsipas 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Early rounds are usually where seeded guys cruise, but this one flipped a section of the draw immediately.
Matteo Berrettini survives a three-set grinder
Berrettini beat Adrian Mannarino 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. He had to work for it, and now the next match gets tougher fast.
Reilly Opelka does big-server things
Opelka beat Ethan Quinn 7-5, 7-6(3). That is exactly how a huge serve wins here when the ball is moving.
Women’s side: a few clean takeaways
- Yulia Putintseva beat Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2
- Camila Osorio beat Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-1
- Kamilla Rakhimova turned the match around vs Bianca Andreescu 6-7(6), 6-0, 6-1
- Jessica Bouzas Maneiro outlasted Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-1
Wednesday scoreboard highlights (from the results you pulled)
ATP
- Shapovalov d. Tsitsipas 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
- Berrettini d. Mannarino 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
- Opelka d. Quinn 7-5, 7-6(3)
- Jenson Brooksby d. Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-4
- Marcos Giron d. Mariano Navone 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
- Gael Monfils d. Alexis Galarneau 6-3, 6-4
- Joao Fonseca d. Raphael Collignon 7-6(2), 6-4
- Zizou Bergs d. Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4
- Marton Fucsovics d. Christopher O’Connell 7-5, 6-3
- Gabriel Diallo d. Mattia Bellucci 7-6(5), 6-4
- Camilo Ugo Carabelli d. Martin Damm 7-6(5), 6-3
- Miomir Kecmanovic d. Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 1-0 ret.
- Dalibor Svrcina d. James Duckworth 6-2, 6-4
- Dino Prizmic d. Tristan Schoolkate 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5
- Zachary Svajda d. Marin Cilic 7-6(5), 6-4
WTA
- Putintseva d. Badosa 6-4, 6-2
- Osorio d. Stephens 6-4, 6-1
- Rakhimova d. Andreescu 6-7(6), 6-0, 6-1
- Bouzas Maneiro d. Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-1
- Talia Gibson d. Ann Li 6-3, 7-5
- Sorana Cirstea d. Tatjana Maria 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
- Dayana Yastremska d. Shuai Zhang 6-3, 6-2
- Himeno Sakatsume d. Alycia Parks 6-4, 6-3
- Ajla Tomljanovic d. Elena-Gabriela Ruse 7-5, 6-2
- Kimberly Birrell d. Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-1, 6-4
- Anna Blinkova d. Dalma Galfi 6-4, 7-5
- Anastasia Zakharova d. Ella Seidel 6-2, 6-2
- Anastasia Potapova d. Marina Stakusic 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
- Jaqueline Cristian d. Janice Tjen 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(6)
- Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva d. Catherine McNally 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4
- Zeynep Sonmez d. McCartney Kessler 7-6(7), 6-0
Thursday (March 5): matches we’re looking forward to
This is a really nice Thursday slate. It’s still Round 1, but you can already feel the draw tightening up.
Terence Atmane vs Grigor Dimitrov (Stadium 1)
Grigor Dimitrov is 3-5 overall and 2-4 this season since returning from a long pectoral injury absence. Terence Atmane’s serve might be tough to handle in the early desert heat.
Diane Parry vs Venus Williams (Stadium 1, not before 1 p.m.)
This is the headline. Venus Williams at Indian Wells 2026 changes the whole vibe, but Diane Parry is talented enough to make it uncomfortable if 0-4 Venus starts slow.
Katerina Siniakova vs Sofia Kenin (Stadium 1)
Sofia Kenin is trying to shake a six-match losing skid, but can take the racquet out of your hand when she’s clean. Katerina Siniakova makes you hit one more ball and then another. Good contrast match.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Aleksandar Kovacevic (Stadium 2)
This early afternoon match in the Palm Springs heat has “Breaker-ball” written all over it.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Fabian Marozsan (Stadium 4)
Roberto Bautista Agut is a grinder that Fabian Marozsan won’t easily hit through. Marozsan has lost three of his last four matches, and the typical temperature drop might also fuel an RBA upset.
Donna Vekic vs. Tereza Valentova (Stadium 3)
Donna Vekic has fallen out of the top 100 and is on a three-match losing streak. Tereza Valentova is a hungry teenager on the rise. Should be interesting.
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Mackenzie McDonald (Stadium 3)
Matteo Arnaldi hasn’t played a match since he lost first round at the Australian Open, and that’s a long time to be sitting. McDonald is a scrapper who will make him hit a lot of balls.
Phil Naessens is a tennis betting analyst and former tennis coach with decades of experience in player development and match analysis. He is the founder of Crush Rush News and host of the Crush & Rush Tennis Podcast, focusing on price-first betting strategy, market efficiency, and transparency in sports wagering.
