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Over the coming week, sixth seed Matteo Berrettini will look to crack the ATP Masters 1000 code for the first time when he takes to court at the BNP Paribas Open, starting against #NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune on Sunday.

The Italian has won five tour-level titles across ATP 500 and 250 level and advanced to the final at Wimbledon last season. However, the World No. 6 has yet to lift a Masters 1000 trophy, with his best run coming in Madrid in 2021 when he reached the championship match.

The Australian Open semi-finalist, who has never been beyond the third round in three previous appearances in Indian Wells, faces a tricky opening test against qualifier Rune on Stadium 1 in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

Rune enjoyed a breakthrough 2021 season as he captured four ATP Challenger Tour crowns and competed at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. The 18-year-old, currently at a career-high No. 86 in the ATP Rankings, earned his maiden Masters 1000 main draw win when he breezed past Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the first round.

“[The] next match is a huge test against Berrettini, so it’s going to be fun to see how it’s going to go,” Rune said when he was asked about taking on the 25-year-old. “For sure he’s a great player, one of the best in the world right now, so it’s going to be fun. Let’s see what happens.”

Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime will look to maintain his red-hot start to the season in the California desert as he begins his bid for a first Masters 1000 title.

Auger-Aliassime arrives in Indian Wells 15-4 on the season, having helped guide Canada to the ATP Cup title in January, before he clinched his maiden tour-level trophy in Rotterdam last month. The 21-year-old also advanced to the final in Marseille and reached the last eight at the Australian Open for the first time.

The ninth seed will carry a 1-0 ATP Head2Head series lead into his match against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp on Stadium 4.

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Andrey Rublev will look to reach the third round in Indian Wells for the third consecutive time when he takes on German Dominik Koepfer on Stadium 3. The World No. 7 has regained his top form in the past month, soaring to back-to-back titles in Marseille and Dubai.

The 24-year-old, who has won five ATP 500 crowns, takes a 1-0 ATP Head2Head lead into his clash against World No. 51 Koepfer and is happy to be back in Indian Wells.

“I like the atmosphere here,” Rublev said in his pre-tournament interview. “The place is beautiful and relaxed. I am renting a house, which will be chilled with my team. It is nice being in front of the mountains.”

Third seed Alexander Zverev is aiming to clinch his first title of the year at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The German reached the quarter-finals at the hard-court tournament in 2021 and will open against Tommy Paul on Stadium 1, with the American leading their ATP Head2Head series 1-0.

“It is the first Masters of the year and one of the prettiest ones we have,” the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion said in his pre-tournament interview. “I think it is an event everyone enjoys. I am going into the tournament with the right mindset, so hopefully that will help. I’ve got to get my form back and start winning these tournaments.”

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray created more history on Friday when he earned his 700th tour-level win. The Scot, who reached the final in Indian Wells in 2009, battled past Taro Daniel to set up a third meeting against Alexander Bublik, with Murray leading the 24-year-old 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

“This was a target I sort of set myself at the back end of last year,” Murray said following his 700th victory. “It’s a lot of wins. Obviously very happy to get it here, and let’s go for 800 now. “It does mean a lot to me because I know how difficult it’s been, certainly the past few years.”

The World No. 20 Taylor Fritz will lead the American charge on home soil on Sunday, facing Pole Kamil Majchrzak on Stadium 3. Fritz has fond memories in Indian Wells, having reached his first Masters 1000 semi-final at the event in 2021.

Two all-American clashes will see #NextGenATP star Brandon Nakashima take on 28th seed Frances Tiafoe, while wild card Sam Querrey plays John Isner.

Grigor Dimitrov enjoyed a run to the last four in Indian Wells last season and will open his 2022 campaign against Australian Jordan Thompson on Stadium 4. The 14th seed Diego Schwartzman faces Emil Ruusuvuori, Marin Cilic plays Miomir Kecmanovic and Aslan Karatsev takes on American wild card Steve Johnson.

In doubles action, Australian Open champions Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios meet wild cards Isner and Jack Sock, while ATP Tour singles youngsters Sebastian Korda and Jannik Sinner play fourth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.

SCHEDULE – SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2022

STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am
WTA – [11] E. Raducanu (GBR) vs P. Martic (CRO)
WTA – [3] I. Swiatek (POL) vs [29] C. Tauson (DEN)
ATP – [6] M. Berrettini (ITA) vs [Q] H. Rune (DEN)

Not Before 6:00 PM
WTA – [24] S. Halep (ROU) vs [16] C. Gauff (USA)
ATP – T. Paul (USA) vs [3] A. Zverev (GER)

STADIUM 2 start 11:00 am
ATP – [WC] S. Querrey (USA) vs [23] J. Isner (USA)
ATP – [31] A. Bublik (KAZ) vs [WC] A. Murray (GBR)

Not Before 3:00 PM
WTA – [25] M. Keys (USA) vs A. Riske (USA)

Not Before 6:00 pm
ATP – [WC] J. Isner (USA) / J. Sock (USA) vs [WC] T. Kokkinakis (AUS) / N. Kyrgios (AUS)

Not Before 8:00 PM
WTA – [23] D. Kasatkina vs [15] A. Kerber (GER)

STADIUM 3 start 11:00 am
ATP – [7] A. Rublev vs D. Koepfer (GER)
ATP – K. Majchrzak (POL) vs [20] T. Fritz (USA)
WTA – [DA SR] L. Siegemund (GER) / V. Zvonareva vs [OSE] A. Cornet (FRA) / L. Fernandez (CAN)

Not Before 5:00 pm
ATP – B. Nakashima (USA) vs [28] F. Tiafoe (USA)
WTA – [8] C. Dolehide (USA) / S. Sanders (AUS) vs [OSE] M. Keys (USA) / J. Pegula (USA)

STADIUM 4 start 11:00 am
ATP – [22] A. Karatsev vs [WC] S. Johnson (USA)
ATP – B. van de Zandschulp (NED) vs [9] F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
WTA – [Q] H. Dart (GBR) vs K. Kanepi (EST)

Not Before 5:00 pm
ATP – J. Thompson (AUS) vs [33] G. Dimitrov (BUL)
ATP – [4] J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL) vs S. Korda (USA) / J. Sinner (ITA)

STADIUM 5 start 11:00 am
ATP – [24] M. Cilic (CRO) vs M. Kecmanovic (SRB)
ATP – [14] D. Schwartzman (ARG) vs E. Ruusuvuori (FIN)
ATP – [29] A. de Minaur (AUS) vs [LL] J. Millman (AUS)
ATP – [16] P. Carreno Busta (ESP) vs [Q] J. Munar (ESP)
ATP – [7] W. Koolhof (NED) / N. Skupski (GBR) vs F. Delbonis (ARG) / C. Norrie (GBR)

STADIUM 6 start 11:00 am
WTA – [28] L. Samsonova vs D. Kovinic (MNE)
Second Round – ATP – O. Otte (GER) vs [11] H. Hurkacz (POL)
WTA – [LL] A. Kalinskaya vs [26] S. Cirstea (ROU)
Second Round – ATP – [WC] F. Lopez (ESP) / S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [6] T. Puetz (GER) / M. Venus (NZL)
First Round – ATP – K. Krawietz (GER) / A. Mies (GER) vs [2] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR)

STADIUM 9 start 11:00 am
ATP – [PR] S. Gonzalez (MEX) / E. Roger-Vasselin (FRA) vs S. Gille (BEL) / M. Middelkoop (NED)
ATP – [8] J. Murray (GBR) / B. Soares (BRA) vs R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Shapovalov (CAN)
ATP – F. Bagnis (ARG) vs [30] L. Harris (RSA)
WTA – [6] D. Krawczyk (USA) / D. Schuurs (NED) vs M. Bouzkova (CZE) / L. Hradecka (CZE)
WTA – E. Hozumi (JPN) / M. Ninomiya (JPN) vs I. Begu (ROU) / M. Niculescu (ROU)

Six-time ATP Tour titlist Nick Kyrgios is off to the Sunshine Swing. The Australian has received wild cards for the upcoming BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open presented by Itau, both tournaments have announced.

Kyrgios’ appearance in Indian Wells will be his his first since winning the Australian Open doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis. His best performance at the tournament, which will be played from 10-20 March, is a quarter-final run in 2017 that included straight-sets wins over Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic.

Fans in Florida will hope for more Miami magic from Kyrgios at Hard Rock Stadium, which hosts its own Masters 1000 event from 23 March to 3 April. The Australian’s 2017 semi-final clash with Roger Federer, played at the tournament’s former home in Key Biscayne, was voted ATP Match of the Year. A trio of tie-breaks was necessary to separate the pair in an all-time classic, Federer eventually prevailing 7-6(9), 6-7(9), 7-6(5) after more than three hours to clinch a first win over the Australian.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray has also been awarded a wild card for the Miami event. The Brit, who was confirmed as a wild card in Indian Wells earlier this week, is a familiar face in Miami having trained frequently in the city throughout his career. He is a two-time champion at the tournament, having triumphed in 2009 (d. Djokovic) and 2013 (d. Ferrer).

Murray reached the final of the Sydney Tennis Classic in January but has exited his past four tournaments in the second round and will seek to go deep in both tournaments as he hunts a return to the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings.

Americans Jack Sock and Sam Querrey have also received wild cards for Indian Wells. Former World No. 8 Sock has pedigree in the California desert, reaching the semi-finals in 2017 and also picking up doubles titles in 2015 (w/Vasek Pospisil) and 2018 (w/John Isner).

Querrey also has a good record of picking up trophies in California, with three of his 10 ATP Tour titles coming at the ATP 250 event in Los Angeles. His run to the quarter-finals in 2018 remains his best showing at Indian Wells, and the 34-year-old will hope for a strong run as he seeks to get back into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings.

Pedro Martinez showed all his fighting qualities to clinch his first ATP Tour title at the Chile Dove Men+Care Open on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Spaniard came from a set down to defeat #NextGenATP star Sebastian Baez in the championship match in the Chilean capital. Fourth-seeded Martinez had already battled past Jaume Munar, Yannick Hanfmann and local favourite Alejandro Tabilo on the way to the final at the clay-court ATP 250 event, his second on the ATP Tour.

The win pushes Martinez to a career-high No. 50 in the ATP Rankings, and afterwards he told ATPTour.com more about his journey to a first tour-level title.

What does it mean to you to win your first ATP Tour title?
It’s a really big feeling, I’m really happy. It’s something I was trying to do in the past two years, [when] I’ve played almost all ATPs [tour-level tournaments], and now to be here in the winning club for this year, it’s amazing for me.

You competed in your maiden tour-level final against Casper Ruud in Kitzbuhel on clay last season. To what extent did that experience help you when playing in the championship match today?
I don’t think I lost that match because I didn’t have experience, I think Casper was just on a really good level. I’m happy to be here again. I was mentally ok, I was prepared, I knew it was going to be a long match, even when I was down a break in the second, I kept fighting. So maybe that gave me confidence.

You arrived in Santiago having not been beyond the second round at a tournament this year, what are the main factors behind why it suddenly all clicked again this week in Chile?
This year I’ve competed in every match I’ve played. Last week I lost against [Diego] Schwartzman, it was more than one and a half hours, but it was a big result for him, 6-1, 6-1. But I think I’ve been doing things OK since the start of the year. I’ve lost to really good players, and I fought every match, and I knew my moment was going to arrive. That’s what you have to do. Be patient and your moment will arrive.

You came through some hard-fought matches this week as you showed your fighting spirit. How would you describe yourself off the court? Does your on-court resilience extend off the tennis court as well?
Off the court I think I’m a quiet guy. I like to chill with the other guys, spend time with my family when I’m at home. When I go on court, I think I’m another person. Something changes in my mind, some things go too fast, and some things I can’t control. That’s what it feels like, but that gives me my fighting spirit on the court.

You grew up living next to the Club de Tenis Alzira. Can you talk about your earliest memories of playing the sport and your development?
I lived there since I was six years old. I had a skateboard, and I [used to ride it] straight to the court. I spent all my time at that club. My coach, Nacho, he made me learn fierce skills that I have in my game now. I was always playing with my friend, Pepe, and those are my biggest memories. I was always there with a tennis racket or football, from [age] six until 15, all my childhood.

Countryman Rafael Nadal was an idol for you when growing up. How inspiring is it for you to still see him dominating as he has done this season?
What Rafa has done this season is something without words. He did it before, but every time he surprises everyone, I think he also surprises himself. He inspired me, he inspired many players. We also have a really good culture of tennis in Spain, so that’s what gives you confidence to reach new things and I hope I can go higher in the rankings and keep playing like this.

Could you take a moment to acknowledge some of the key figures in your life and career who have helped you to reach this milestone?
For sure my parents, they supported me when I was a kid. My grandfather, all my family was behind me when I needed. My girlfriend, I’ve been with her for four and a half years. She comes with me everywhere that I decide to go. We’ve moved a few times from one house to another, and she’s always by my side and a big support for me.

What do you consider to be your biggest passion outside of tennis and can you tell us a little bit about that interest. I know you like your dogs and supporting Real Madrid?
We have seven dogs! I rescued one here in Santiago in 2019, when I came here for a Challenger. I found a puppy on the road, he was looking for food in the trash, and I took him and said, “I have to bring him home.” He’s in Spain right now, he’s called Scooby.

I like to hang out with my friends. I like to spend time at home because with tennis you travel so much. I like to watch other sports, going to eat the good food that we have in Spain.

I support Real Madrid because my grandfather, who passed away a few years ago, supported them since I was a kid. I follow them every weekend when they play in La Liga and I play Fantasy Football with my friends, so I follow soccer a lot.

This is a milestone moment in your career. How will you celebrate this victory?
Tonight I’m going to have a good dinner for sure, maybe a beer with my coach…you have to celebrate when you do something like this. Even if I lost, I would have done the same, and tomorrow we have a flight to go to the Davis Cup. We will see what the night brings!

Rafael Nadal opened a second straight match with a bagel set, but was made to work for an Acapulco quarter-final victory over Tommy Paul. The 6-0, 7-6(5) win sets up a rematch with Daniil Medvedev following the Spaniard’s five-set Australian Open final comeback that earned him a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title.

For both men, the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC is their first event since Melbourne.

Against Paul on Thursday, Nadal dropped just 10 points in the opening set but met real resistance beyond that in hot and humid conditions. The fourth seed dictated early before the American began to use his athleticism to great effect, regularly getting the better of rallies in a second set that lasted over 90 minutes.

“I think I played one of the best sets since a long time ago,” Nadal said of the opener. “I played fantastic in the first set. In the beginning of the second I made a couple of mistakes, and then he started playing better and better. The set became a little bit crazy with a lot of breaks.”

With Paul up a break at 2-1 in the second, a string of four games against serve kept the American out in front. The action heated up as Paul used a flamboyant volley finish on his way to his second break of the set. Nadal later answered with a hot shot of his own, firing a trademark on-the-run forehand pass, but it was not enough to prevent Paul from breaking again for 4-3.

Nadal broke for the sixth and final time in the match to stop his opponent from serving out the set, then saved two break points in a pair of lengthy rallies to edge ahead for the first time in the frame at 6-5. It was Paul’s turn to save two break points, which doubled as match points, in the 12th game.

Down 0/2 to start the tie-break, Nadal won four straight points to take a lead he would never relinquish.

Previewing the semi-final showdown against Medvedev, Nadal was full of praise for the soon-to-be World No. 1: “Everybody knows how difficult it is to play against Daniil. I know I have to play at my highest level if I want to have any chance, and that’s what I’m going to try. I have to play my game.

“Everybody knows how difficult the final was in Australia. Tomorrow is going to be another battle. I know he’s playing well, plenty of confidence… I am excited to play that match.”

Cameron Norrie followed Nadal into the last four with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk. The sixth-seeded Briton wasted little time in closing out the Acapulco evening slate, winning 10 straight games to reach a second ATP Tour semi-final in as many weeks. 

“I used the court to my advantage,” said Norrie, brimming with confidence following his Delray Beach title. “Very slow, very bouncy conditions. I just made it physical points and made him play one more ball.

“Even though the score was easy, it was definitely not easy. I sweat through like five shirts, and it was definitely a very physical match. I really enjoyed it.”

He’ll face third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis, after the Greek cruised past Marcos Giron, 6-3, 6-4, earlier in the day.