Sinner Advances to Indian Wells Round of 32, Set to Face Shapovalov
Indian Wells, CA – March 8, 2026 – Jannik Sinner continued his strong start to the BNP Paribas Open, defeating Dalibor Svrcina 6-1, 6-1 in just 65 minutes on Friday. The victory sets up a third-round clash with Denis Shapovalov, who overcame Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5).
Sinner’s Dominant Performance
Sinner showcased his dominance against Svrcina, demonstrating a high level of play in his opening match at Indian Wells. He aims for his first Indian Wells title, having previously reached the semifinal stage in both 2023 and 2024. The Italian is seeking to complete a career Grand Slam of hard-court ATP Masters 1000 titles.
“I missed this tournament,” Sinner said after his win. “Every day is different here, I have many friends, I also managed to play a bit of golf. This tournament and Miami are very important for me, I have prepared well. I try to maximize my potential, there is still something to improve. I am calm and relaxed, we work hard to strengthen myself physically too, with even double sessions. We do it to experience moments like these. I will try to play as many matches as possible and perform well.”
Shapovalov’s Path to the Third Round
Shapovalov battled past Etcheverry in a challenging match lasting two hours and 41 minutes. The Canadian lefty fired 43 winners and came to the net 22 times, converting 15 net points. Despite 49 unforced errors and 14 double faults, Shapovalov secured the victory in a tense tiebreak.
Head-to-Head Record
Sinner and Shapovalov have a 1-1 record against each other. Their most recent encounter was at the 2024 US Open, where Sinner won 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Prior to that, Shapovalov defeated Sinner in five sets during the first round of the 2021 Australian Open, with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Sinner’s Previous Indian Wells Results
Sinner did not participate in the 2025 Indian Wells tournament due to a disqualification related to a Clostebol case. Before that, he reached the semi-finals in 2023 and 2024, losing to Carlos Alcaraz on both occasions (7-6, 6-3 in 2023 and 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 2024). In 2022, Sinner withdrew from the round of 16 due to illness.
Match Details
The match between Sinner and Shapovalov is scheduled for Sunday, March 8th, as the third match on Stadium 1, following the matches between Sabalenka-Cristian and Shelton-Tien. It is expected to begin no earlier than 10:00 PM Italian time. Viewers can watch the match live on Sky Sport Tennis (channel 203) and stream it through Sky Go, Now, or Tennis TV.