BNP Paribas Open men's draw: Tournament organizers dodge potential bracket bummer
Tournament organizers were on pins and needles as the BNP Paribas Open men's draw unfolded Monday afternoon at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, and that was because of one popular name that was to be placed randomly in the draw: Rafael Nadal.
Nadal, one of the game's all-time legends, missed most of 2023 with a hip injury and as a result is not among the 32 seeded players who have a protected spot in the draw. So Nadal's name could've popped up as Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz's first opponent of the tournament, which would've been the tournament's worst nightmare. But everyone can breathe a little easier.
Nadal, winner of 22 Grand Slams and a three-time champion at Indian Wells, will start by playing Milos Raonic, a former finalist here, on Thursday night. If Nadal wins, he would then have a very tough second-round match against the No. 7 seed Holger Rune.
If getting past Rune weren't difficult enough, should Nadal make a miracle run and win this tournament, he'd have to go through a murderer's row that would also include Taylor Fritz in the round of 16, Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and Carlos Alcaraz in the final if seeds hold.
Where Nadal fell in the 96-player field was certainly the dramatic part of the ceremony, which drew a nice crowd outside Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and featured American player Christopher Eubanks talking to the fans about his excellent 2023. It wasn't the only interesting reveal.
No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic, back in the field for the first time since 2019, drew a favorable path. He could see American Tommy Paul in the round of 16, Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals and Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, are in the other half of the draw.
Matches we'd like to see
Now that the draw is clear, here are a few early-round matchups that we're hoping come to fruition:
Tiafoe vs. Tsitsipas: Frances Tiafoe who had his best run at Indian Wells last year, making it to the semifinals, is lined up to play Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round. Tiafoe is seeded No. 18 and Tsitsipas, a former top three player in the world, both play an athletic all-over-the-court style and should make for an entertaining match.
Murray vs. Rublev: Playing for his 16th time at Indian Wells, Andy Murray intimated that he may call it a career later this summer. The tennis draw gods didn't smile down on Murray, giving him a difficult draw. He will open his campaign against a qualifier in the first round, likely Wednesday, but then will immediately play the No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev in the second round.
Alcaraz vs. Auger-Aliassime: The young Canadian player Felix Auger-Aliassime who rose all the way to No. 6 in the world at one point, has had a tough time maintaining the magic in the last year or so, and has dropped down to No. 31 in the world. If he can win his first match which will be against a qualifier, he's lined up to play No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz in the third round. No treat of a draw, but for a guy in need of an impressive win, that would certainly qualify.
How the quarterfinals shape up
Here is how the top eight players in the field would match up if they all make it to the quarterfinals.
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 8 Hubert Hurkcacz
No. 4 Daniil Medvedev vs. No. 7 Holger Rune
No. 3 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 5 Andrey Rublev
No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 6 Sasha Zverev
Djokovic vs. Medvedev are lined up to be one semifinal and Alcaraz vs. Sinner in the other.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open men's draw: Rafael Nadal opens with Milos Raonic
