Carlos Alcaraz should be the strong favorite to win Indian Wells, but Novak Djokovic has a great chance of clinching the title.
Alcaraz enters Indian Wells after back-to-back titles, having won the Australian Open and the Qatar Open.
He is the ATP number one and the top seed in California, and boasts a 12-0 record from his two tournaments of 2026 so far.
But Djokovic can be quietly confident of upsetting the odds at Indian Wells, a tournament he knows very well.
Can Carlos Alcaraz win MORE Grand Slams than Novak Djokovic? 🤔
Why Novak Djokovic can win Indian Wells ahead of Carlos Alcaraz
Djokovic made his Indian Wells debut all the way back in 2005, and has since gone on to win the tournament five times.
It is a joint-record with his fellow legend Roger Federer, with the Serbian therefore immediately boosted by a real motivation to move ahead of his former rival.
Federer, of course, cannot add to his tally given his retirement, but at 38 Djokovic likely won’t be too far behind him in hanging up his racket.
Significantly, despite reaching the latter stages of his career, the veteran is still one of the players to beat on the ATP Tour.
He is third in the rankings, behind only Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but more importantly just reached the Australian Open final.
Djokovic notably knocked out two-time defending champion Sinner in the semifinals, as well as taking the first set in the final against Alcaraz, only to lose 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 5-7.
Finally, the Australian Open represents his only tournament of 2026 so far, meaning Djokovic should be recovered and ready to go for Indian Wells.
That won’t be the same for many of his rivals in California, who have instead committed to several tournaments since the start of the season.
Which member of the ‘Big Three’ is Carlos Alcaraz most similar to? Let us know why below👇
What is stopping Novak Djokovic from Indian Wells success?
While he has a great chance of adding to his stunning career success at Indian Wells and further afield, more glory will be a hugely difficult feat.
Firstly, Djokovic has a tricky Indian Wells draw, which involves potential meetings with both Alcaraz and Sinner.
However, still representing his greatest barrier to success is the Spaniard, who is always a threat at any tournament he plays in.
With two Indian Wells titles in the last three years and his phenomenal ability on hard courts, he’s definitely the player to beat.
But if a reunion between Alcaraz and Djokovic does take place, the latter will be hoping to have learned exactly how to beat the former following their meeting in Melbourne.
Sinner, of course, also represents a major danger to the Serbian despite his underwhelming start to the season.
- Djokovic H2H vs Alcaraz: 5-5
- Djokovic H2H vs Sinner: 5-6
Meanwhile, Indian Wells fans will be desperate for another American winner, the last of which was Taylor Fritz in 2022.
He’ll be on a high after successfully defending his Eisenhower Cup title with Elena Rybakina, while his fellow top 10 player Ben Shelton is another home favorite looking to go the distance.
Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur could also continue their fine seasons at tennis paradise, where British number one Jack Draper is the defending champion.
