Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner didn’t have an Indian Wells title, or a big win in 2026. Now they have both

“He’s the only one of the Big 4 I haven’t beaten,” Zverev said of Murray during his post-match interview on Sunday. Was that a warning of things to come? Murray is indeed undefeated against Zverev, but their head-to-head consists of just two meetings; the Scot gave the German a straight-set lesson at the Australian Open five years ago, and edged him in Cincy last year, 7-5 in the third set. Since then, of course, the 24-year-old Zverev has solidified his game and risen higher in the rankings, while the 34-year-old Murray has struggled to recapture his past glory. But there have been hopeful signs of late: He nearly beat Stefanos Tsitsipas at the US Open, and on Sunday he fought his way past the much-younger Carlos Alcaraz in three stubborn sets. We know Murray will do whatever it takes to make that happen again, but we also know how hard it is for anyone to beat Zverev these days. Winner: Zverev

Darren Cahill rated Murray's win over Carlos Alcaraz as his best match since returning from surgery.

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Elina Svitolina vs. Jessica Pegula

These 27-year-olds have split their two matches, both of which came at the start of this season. Svitolina won in Abu Dhabi in January, before Pegula returned the favor at the Australian Open a month later. The latter was something of a breakthrough for Pegula; it put her into her first and so far only major quarterfinal, and it represented a high-water mark for her level of play. The American had never been so steady under pressure, for such a long period of time, before. Can she repeat that performance? It won’t be easy: Svitolina is ranked No. 7 and Pegula No. 24 for a reason. But Pegula has looked exceedingly good in her straight-set wins over Sloane Stephens and Jasmine Paolini in Indian Wells. Will Svitolina be a little jaded after her arduous third-set-breaker victory over Sorana Cirstea on Sunday? This could be another long one. Winner: Pegula

Leylah Fernandez vs. Shelby Rogers

Rogers won the only meeting between these two, in straight sets in Lexington last summer. As far as Fernandez’s career is concerned, though, that was in the Before Times: a.k.a., this year’s US Open, when the Canadian teen’s game blossomed with a suddenness that few fans saw coming. Rogers made a breakthrough of her own at the Open, when she beat top seed Ash Barty for the first time, and she’ll have an advantage in the first-strike power department against Fernandez. But Fernandez will have an even bigger advantage in the speed department. If she can get in the second strike, and use her short-hop style to take Rogers’ time away and make her move, she should win. Winner: Fernandez