Tennis fans have never seen anything like the recently released Indian Wells 2026 BNP Paribas Open Men’s Doubles draw.
For years, the top-ranked singles players in the women’s doubles draws at major events have been paired together in interesting and sometimes unexpected duos. Some of these doubles teams have achieved great success, the most recent example being the team of French Open finalists and Miami Open champions Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.
advertise
The men are finally catching up and this year’s Indian Wells Men’s Doubles Championship is set to produce some exciting moments.
More: Elena Rybakina hosts awkward Eisenhower Trophy ceremony
Who is in the Indian Wells men’s doubles draw?
Tournament officials at the BNP Paribas Open must be pinching themselves as Jannik Sinner’s partner is American Reilly Opelka.
As avid tennis fans know, the pair won the 2021 Atlanta Open together, and in recent years Opelka has criticized singles players for playing doubles, as well as the absence of doubles at all in tournaments. The #WatchMoreDoubles movement was sparked by Opel’s comments.
advertise
Novak Djokovic’s partner is Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been eliminated. If anyone can improve in his career, it’s Tsitsipas and we want this team to go far.
More: Aryna Sabalenka shows off giant engagement ring with Indian Wells dance show
Ben Shelton was paired with fellow American Emilio Nava, whom he continually mocked during his Australian Open loss to Cam Norrie, who hit 65 winners and committed 80 unforced errors.
March 3, 2026; Indian Wells, California, USA; Ben Shelton (USA) speaks to the media during a press conference during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Other teams to watch include Karen Khachanov and Andrei Rublev, Daniil Medvedev and Lerner Tian, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Sebastian Korda, Brandon Nakajima and Frances Tiafoe, and Acapulco Open doubles champions Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo.
advertise
A total of 32 teams are participating in the Indian Wells Men’s Doubles draw, which will begin on Sunday, March 8. Sinner and Opelka’s first game will be against top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zerballos, and we’ll find out soon how good they are. Zeballos won the Indian Wells men’s tag team title in 2019 with Nikola Mektic.
— Enjoy free coverage of top news and trending stories from The Big Lead —
NFL: The 5 most overrated NFL free agents entering the market in 2026
Major League Baseball: What medications does Jurickson Profar take? MLB announces use of PEDs
Sports media: Stephen A. Smith blasts mediocre NBA star as ‘food addict’
advertise
Viral: NBC delivers epic nostalgia with ‘Throwback Tuesday’ NBA broadcast
World Cup: Will Iran participate in the 2026 World Cup? Donald Trump is involved
National Basketball League: Players, union leaders divided, two-time MVP and four-time All-Star’s claim letter
The post Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton headline unprecedented men’s doubles event at Indian Wells appeared first on The Big Lead.
