Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s fortunes have been wildly different in 2026, but that could change at Indian Wells.
Sinner has looked out of sorts so far this year, as he has suffered shock defeats to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open and Jakub Mensik at the Qatar Open.
Alcaraz has flourished in 2026 so far, however, winning both titles in Melbourne and Doha, and notching up a remarkable 12-match unbeaten streak.
Both men are set to return to action at Indian Wells, where Sinner might have got the jump on Alcaraz despite his early season form.
Why Jannik Sinner could have an advantage over Carlos Alcaraz
Sinner has continued to put the work in following his slow start to the season, and he arrived in Indian Wells nearly a week before the start of the event.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is set to arrive on Sunday, 1st March, just three days before the main draw is set to start.
The extra days of acclimatising could be a huge game-changer for Sinner as he looks to truly get his season started.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
The sweltering conditions of the Californian desert might have been a struggle for Sinner, but they will be feeling more normal for the Italian now.
For Alcaraz, who is notoriously a slower starter at tournaments, he could be set for a rougher ride in the early going of the event.
The Spaniard deals better with the heat, but with the Indian Wells balls changing, Sinner’s extra work at the tournament could make all the difference.
Jannik Sinner will have to deal with a big change in Indian Wells
There is plenty of pressure on Sinner to perform well at Indian Wells, due to his difficult start to the season.
He will have to deal with a major team change, as his coach Simone Vagnozzi will not be in attendance at Indian Wells.
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Darren Cahill will be Sinner’s sole coach as the world number two looks to win the first Indian Wells title of his career.
It is unclear why Vagnozzi will not be present for Sinner at Indian Wells, but he is set to return at the Miami Open.
Sinner has only reached as far as the semi-finals of Indian Wells before, which he has done on two occasions in 2023 and 2024.
Both of Sinner’s Indian Wells semi-finals saw him beaten by Alcaraz.
