This Week in Tennis: Weeks of 03/03 and 03/10/2025

Last week, both the ATP and WTA Tours played a combined event in Indian Wells. Through the stifling heat, swirling winds, and even the occasional rainstorm, a youth movement prevailed. Men’s champion Jack Draper was born in 2001, and at 23 years old, even he seems ancient compared to the women’s champion, 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.

Last Week’s Champions (03/05-03/16)

ATP Indian Wells: Jack Draper def. Holger Rune, 6-2 6-2

The 23-year-old Draper wins his first big title and launches himself into the top 10 in the first ATP Tour final between 2 players born in the 2000s

WTA Indian Wells: Mirra Andreeva def. Aryna Sabalenka, 2-6 6-4 6-3

Andreeva runs the gauntlet at Indian Wells to back up her Dubai title

Matches of the Week

Women’s Match of the Week: Indian Wells Third Round: Madison Keys def. Elise Mertens, 6-2 6-7(8) 6-4 (Excitement Index: 107.87, Excitement Average: 0.43)

Men’s Match of the Week: Indian Wells Qualifying First Round: Botic van de Zandschulp def. Lukas Klein, 5-7 6-3 6-3 (Excitement Index: 91.82, Excitement Average: 0.37)

Notable Rankings Changes

WTA

#6 Mirra Andreeva, UP from #11

#10 Emma Navarro, DOWN from #8

#21 Liudmilla Samsonova, UP from #25

#24 Yulia Putintseva, DOWN from #20

#29 Marta Kostyuk, DOWN from #24

#45 Belinda Bencic, UP from #58

#51 Maria Sakkari, DOWN from #29

#63 Sonay Kartal, UP from #83

#93 Yue Yuan, DOWN from #68

#118 Caroline Wozniacki, DOWN from #86

ATP

#5 Novak Djokovic, UP from #7

#7 Jack Draper, UP from #14

#18 Arthur Fils, UP from #21

#34 Tallon Griekspoor, UP from #43

#42 Nuno Borges, DOWN from #36

#60 Joao Fonseca, UP from #80

#64 Kei Nishikori, UP from #76

#70 Damir Dzumhur, UP from #84

#77 Aleksandar Vukic, DOWN from #64

#79 Aleksandar Kovacevic, UP from #94

#84 Luca Nardi, DOWN from #67

One Incredible Moment

The top of the ATP Tour is in some turmoil. The World #1, Jannik Sinner, is serving a suspension for anti-doping violations. He will return on May 4. The #1 player being out of action gives the #2 player a golden opportunity to take over the top spot, with a specific target – 9730 rankings points by May 5 (the first Monday after Sinner’s return). When Sinner’s suspension began on February 9, #2 Alexander Zverev was looking at about 7185 points guaranteed by May 5 using tennis’s 52-week rolling rankings system. That nearly 2600-point gap is big – it would be good for 16th in the world right now by itself – but sometimes, that’s what it takes to be the very best in the world. But instead of going on a run, Zverev slumped.

Zverev has not been great in important matches. His record late in Grand Slams, including blowing a 2-0 lead to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open Final and another one to Daniil Medvedev in the 2024 Australian Open semifinal, proves that. But this is an extended run of bad, losing tennis from a typically great player. Since February 9, Zverev is 4-4. He has won multiple matches in a tournament only once, including a first-round exit in Indian Wells to Tallon Griekspoor. There are still opportunities for Zverev to become World #1. Between now and May 5, there are 3 Masters 1000 tournaments – Miami this week, Monte Carlo starting April 6, and Madrid starting April 21 – and he can probably fit in a clay court 500-level tournament, too. But of those 4 tournaments, Zverev would likely need to win 3 titles to become #1, and he has not shown the level necessary to do that. Sinner’s suspension opened the door for Zverev to ascend to the top of tennis, but the German is almost done slamming it in his own face.

The Week Ahead

This week, both tours turn their attention to Miami, the second end of back-to-back 12-day 1000-level combined tournaments in the United States. All the top players, including women’s champion Danielle Collins, will be there, apart from defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner, who is still serving his suspension.

Miami is the last hard-court event on either tour until the middle of July. We will lay out the way the clay court schedules work in a couple weeks, but the end of Miami marks the start of the run-in to Roland Garros in late May.

Follow along with us and enjoy the tennis!

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