Indian Wells
Sinner drops two games in brutal Indian Wells victory
Italy’s next match against Shapovalov
March 7, 2026
ATP Tour
Jannik Sinner is aiming for his first Indian Wells title.
Grant Thompson
Jannik Sinner produced a strong performance in his first match at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, defeating Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-1, 6-1.
Seeking his first Indian Wells trophy, the second seed used strong groundstrokes and blistering pace to overwhelm Svsina, en route to victory in 64 minutes.
“I feel like mentally I’m in a good place,” said Sinner, competing for the first time since losing to Jakub Mencic in Doha. “I’m calm, relaxed. But I’m also happy to be playing. We’ve done a lot of work. Spent a lot of time on the court. A lot of time in the gym. I’m trying to get a little bit stronger. [physically]. We had two training sessions and no days off at all. “
Sinner’s best results in the California desert were semifinals in 2023 and 2024. If the 24-year-old wins this fortnight, he will complete the title run at all six hard-court ATP Masters 1000 events.
Sinner played tight near the baseline, forcing Svrsina into a deep position, giving the Italian a chance to push forward and score in front of the net. According to Infosys ATP statistics, he converted 15 of his 17 net points into goals.
Starting at 1-1 in the first set, Sinner won nine consecutive games, and Svsina won one more. The 24-time Tour Champion, who is five wins away from reaching his 100th ATP Masters 1000 match, improves to 8-2 on the season.
The PIF ATP No. 2 next faces Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who knocked out No. 29 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5). The left-hander scored 43 game-winners and scored 22 goals, including 15 points, against the Argentine.
Sinner and Shapovalov tied 1-1 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series. Sinner defeated the Canadian in four sets at last year’s U.S. Open. Shapovalov won the five-set match at the 2021 Australian Open.
