Zheng Qinwen arrived at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open with a change to her coaching staff and a clear message about her existing team. The former world No. 4 is in the midst of a comeback after missing much of the 2025 season due to an elbow injury.

Zheng revealed the addition of Marcos Baghdatis to her coaching group, describing the hire as a way to bring fresh perspectives into her preparation. “I hope he can bring me something different and help my tennis improve further,” Zheng said in an exclusive interview with Tencent Sports .

At the same time Zheng moved to dispel speculation about her relationship with long-time head coach Pere Riba. “I know there have been many questions about my coaching team, so let me clarify again. I have not ended my collaboration with Riba,” insisted Zheng, who reportedly unfollowed Riba on Instagram. “I truly have not ended it. He is just temporarily away from the team for a period of rest.”

Zheng’s 2026 season began at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open after she missed the last two major tournaments while recovering. She won back-to-back three-set matches against Sofia Kenin and Alycia Parks before suffering a narrow loss to reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in the Round of 16.

On-court, Zheng said she has noticed tangible improvements since surgery and rehabilitation. “I do think my serve has improved compared to before,” Zheng told Tencent. “Especially after the surgery, I can feel that my overall physical function has changed. For example, my elbow can fully straighten now, which is different from before. At the same time, I made some small technical adjustments to my movements, and those have been helpful.”

Seeded No. 24 at Indian Wells, Zheng will open against either Antonia Ruzic or Jennifer Brady, with Doha champion Karolina Muchova projected as her seeded opponent in the third round.

The Eisenhower Cup provided an intimate, lively start to the BNP Paribas Open week as many of the tour’s top players left the main courts and packed Stadium 2 on Tuesday night. The event served as a spirited kickoff to the season’s first combined 1000-level tournament, and Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz successfully defended their mixed-doubles crown.

Photographer Matt Fitzgerald returned to the desert after covering the scene last year to capture a mix of on-court moments and sideline atmosphere. Among the images: Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud arriving in matching eyewear, Jasmine Paolini sharing a laugh with Daria Andreeva, and Amanda Anisimova pairing with Tien in their debut together to reach the final.

Alexander Bublik entered as a replacement and teamed up with the defending BNP Paribas Open women’s champion, producing a pair of notable moments. Bublik and Andreeva edged out Jessica Pegula and Paul in a close opening match. One memorable rally included Bublik’s underarm serve, which drew unified reactions after yielding consecutive lets.

Other frames captured the heat of play: Fritz reacting after Ruud charged the net and missed with a long, powerful attempt, and the general buzz around the stands that kept the exhibition lively from start to finish. The sidelines offered as much entertainment as the court, with spontaneous exchanges and candid expressions filling the evening.

At the close of the night, photographers requested a quick trophy lift from Rybakina and Fritz to commemorate their successful title defense. The gallery assembled from Fitzgerald’s images highlights both the competitive edge of the matches and the relaxed camaraderie that defines the Eisenhower Cup.

© Matt Fitzgerald

Bianca Andreescu has spent the opening months of 2026 reshaping her game and her schedule in search of the player who burst onto the scene in 2019. Her doubles ranking of 160 currently sits five places above her singles ranking, a jarring statistic for a former US Open, Canadian Open and Indian Wells champion who has not captured a WTA title since that breakout season. She also lost eight of her last 11 matches in 2025.

“I’m trying to, I guess, reclaim that dangerous, fearless Bianca that can really stand a chance against anyone, and I think I’m getting there,” Andreescu said. “I just feel that, before, I was focusing too much on, you know, trying to go back to 2019, so living in the past.

“And now…it’s like recreating the new Bianca, what is it? 7.0.”

Ranked 227 at the start of the year, Andreescu entered a W35 in Bradenton, Fla., as the No. 1 seed, won five matches to collect $4,860 and 35 WTA points, then reached a semifinal at a second W35 before winning a W75 in Vero Beach to close a 13-1 January. “Going back to those levels, was a decision obviously that wasn’t easy, right? In a way, I guess I’m going the Agassi route,” she said to Brad Gilbert. “I think what’s amazing is I finally got some match rhythm, which I haven’t had over the last few years. I got as many matches as I did in those three weeks, like all of last year.”

After a main-draw match in Austin, Andreescu accepted a wild card into the BNP Paribas Open. If she advances, she could meet Coco Gauff. “It’ll be interesting to see how my level right now, with what I’m implementing and what I’m working on, can show face against someone like that,” she said. “I’m very excited.”

On the men’s side, Sebastian Korda has also altered course. The 25-year-old carries three career titles and a 2023 Australian Open quarterfinal on his résumé, but struggles with injury and inconsistency followed. “I would say since coming back on tour after my leg injury, it was definitely…the darkest time in my tennis career,” he said. “I was just getting a lot of anxiety when I was coming back from court, so disconnected from playing matches.”

Korda dropped down to play a Challenger, reached the San Diego final, beat Michael Zheng and Frances Tiafoe in Dallas and then won Delray Beach, defeating Alex Michelsen, Casper Ruud, Flavio Cobolli and Tommy Paul. Unseeded at Indian Wells, he opens against Francisco Comesana and has new coach Ryan Harrison at his side. “I’m feeling the best physically that I’ve felt the last couple of years,” he said. “Hopefully it stays that way.”