The Indian Wells Open is now just days away, and some of the ATP stars have already made the trip to Tennis Paradise.
This year, the competition is extremely fierce, with two former champions making a return after a long absence from this tournament. Novak Djokovic is five-time champion at the desert while Rafael Nadal is a three-time winner in California.
But while the list of favorites doesn't feature the Spaniard, it will be interesting to see where his level is in his first tournament after injury. In the meantime, some of the unheralded ATP players that could make an impression at this tournament are listed below.
3. Alexander Bublik
A two-time quarterfinalist at the Masters 1000 level, this might be Alexander Bublik's year to overturn some of his modest records on the ATP Tour. At the time of writing he Kazakh is due to play for his second ATP title this season at the Dubai Championships.
Bublik has been in fantastic form, and one of the most remarkable statistics that you would not associate with him in recent years is his record after losing the first set.
He has won 8 out of 8 after losing the first set, four of which came in a one week during his historic title run in Montpellier. Simply put, Bublik is an obvious dark horse in Indian Wells.
2. Ugo Humbert
Another player who has enjoyed a fine start to life in 2024 is Ugo Humbert, who is sitting at a career-high ranking of World No. 18. The Frenchman knocked off defending champion Daniil Medvedev to reach another ATP 500 final in Dubai.
The win over the World No. 4 is among many that Humbert has served up playing high-quality tennis. It was his third Top 10 win of the season which sends a direct message to the main favorites that he remains an unwanted proposition at Indian Wells.
1. Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur is making moves. Last year, he won the biggest ATP title of his career in Acapulco and followed it up with a runner-up finish at the Toronto Masters.
Having cracked the Top 10 and looking increasingly likely to become a mainstay potentially for the rest of the year, de Minaur is a man capable of pouncing at a window of opportunity.
He will get the chance to defend his crown in the Acapulco final after earning a retirement win over Jack Draper in the semis. So, it is feasible he might be heading to Indian Wells with another title in his locker and brimming with confidence.
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