For the first competitive outing since completing a Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, the world No. 1 returned to the ATP Tour in Doha with a mix of local culture and on-court grit.

Off court, Carlos Alcaraz joined Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev for a traditional Qatari fishing trip. The four men wore matching white t-shirts and similar plaid-patterned pants and received a tutorial before heading out on the water. A video shared by the tournament showcased Rublev’s unfiltered reactions, and all four players succeeded in reeling in their catch of the day. © Instagram @qemopen

On court, Sinner had opened his Qatar ExxonMobil Open campaign with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Tomas Machac, and Alcaraz followed a day later with a win of his own. The top seed edged Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 7-6 (5), saving both break points he faced and erasing two set points at 5-6 in the second set.

“One time you let me win?” the Frenchman joked after dropping to 0-5 against Alcaraz.

The top seed reflected on the challenge posed by his opponent. “Arthur is a really dangerous player. Nobody wants to play against him in the first round,” the top seed admitted after notching the 150th hard-court victory of his career.

The day combined a light-hearted glimpse into life on tour with a hard-fought start to the week’s competition. The fishing outing offered a moment of camaraderie among four of the sport’s leading players, and Alcaraz’s result ensured the world No. 1 progressed while adding another milestone to his hard-court record.

Daniil Medvedev and Learner Tien form one of the more unexpected duos on the doubles acceptance list for the 2026 Indian Wells ATP event. At each of the past two Australian Opens, Medvedev has been sent packing by Tien. The one instance the former world No. 1 got the better of the left-hander in four career meetings thus far, he even admitted afterwards that Tien “drives him nuts” on the court. Their joint entry drew attention when the list was released.

The first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season often assembles a mix of established doubles teams and pairings made up of singles players. The acceptance list includes Australian Open champions Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski alongside combinations formed by singles specialists. Medvedev’s good friends, Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, are set to run it back in the California desert for the fourth consecutive year.

Also entered are Francisco Cerundolo and Luciano Darderi, Alexander Bublik and Rajeev Ram, Flavio Cobolli and Corentin Moutet, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Sebastian Korda, and the U.S. tandem of Brandon Nakashima and Frances Tiafoe. Cousins Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot signed up together, with Czech compatriots Jiri Lehecka and Tomas Machac listed as well. Tour pals Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Arthur Fils will compete as a team.

A notable name on the alternates list drew particular interest: world No. 2 Jannik Sinner is listed at No. 4 alongside Reilly Opelka. Sinner previously played doubles in Indian Wells from 2022-2024, partnering Lorenzo Sonego twice and Sebastian Korda once. Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton and Joao Fonseca were among the players who just missed the cut. With three wild card places still available, singles stars could yet join the 32-team field through wild cards or withdrawals.

The Play In Challenger Lille returns Feb. 16-22 at Tennis Club Lillois Lille Métropole, now established as France’s biggest professional tournament north of Paris. Upgraded in 2025 to an ATP Challenger Tour 125 event with $225,000 in prize money plus hospitality, the eighth edition brings the strongest field in the event’s history with three Top 100 players.

Among the headline names are Filip Misolic, Jacob Fearnley and Hugo Gaston. Misolic, the world No. 81, opens against Martin Landaluce as he seeks his fifth Challenger title, his first of 2026 and his first on hard court after winning just one match so far this season. Fearnley, at world No. 84, leads the bottom half of the draw and will meet Clement Chidekh in round one following a run to the Bahrain Tennis Open quarterfinals and a solid Davis Cup Qualifiers showing for Great Britain. Gaston, world No. 96, makes his debut in Lille and will face Sebastian Ofner.

Defending champion Arthur Bouquier returns with a wild card after his qualifying-to-title victory last year. The former world No. 189 begins against a qualifier and is searching for his first match win of the 2026 season. Nine French players occupy main-draw spots, and the event also highlights promising teenagers and rising pros. Sixteen-year-old Moise Kouame, currently No. 14 in the ITF Junior Rankings, claimed two ITF World Tennis Tour titles this season and will face a qualifier in the first round. Other young contenders include Justin Engel, Joel Schwaerzler and fourth seed Alexander Blockx.

Lloyd Harris arrives in Lille on the back of a 10-match winning streak after consecutive Challenger titles in Soma Bay and Tenerife. After defeating Alejandro Moro Canas 7-5, 7-5 in Sunday’s final, Harris reflected on the victory: “It was a big battle, a very long match in two sets but in the end, I played two fantastic games to break in each set and played all the big points well. That was key today.” On his comeback he added, “It’s a new career for me, it’s a new start,” and “It feels like I am starting a new process from nothing. I prefer not to compare it to the past. It was a younger me and I had to undergo many surgeries. I am just trying to improve day by day now and that’s more important for me.”