BNP Paribas Open Masters Player News
Naomi Osaka debuts leopard-inspired ‘huntress’ kit and wins in Indian Wells return
Osaka returned to Indian Wells in a leopard-inspired Nike kit, winning 7-5, 6-2 in her opener. 2026.
Naomi Osaka returned to competition at the BNP Paribas Open with a deliberately theatrical look and a straight-sets victory.
The 2018 champion arrived on Stadium 1 against Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva wearing a head-to-toe leopard motif from Nike, complete with ear and mouth accessories, matching sneakers and a bag stamped with her custom logo. The dress was designed with a material intended to alter appearance under different lighting.
“It’s a fabric that shifts when I move. So depending on the light, it will change colors,” she said during her on-court interview. Before that, she clarified the inspiration with a tease: “First of all, it’s a leopard, not cheetah.”
Osaka framed the look as an evolving creative concept. She joked with the press to “get ready for my long spiel.” She cited an image from Naomi Campbell’s 2009 Harper’s Bazaar editorial and the desert setting of the tournament as starting points, then said the idea broadened into a narrative.
“Based on who I am, my leopard is more like a huntress, like I’m hunting something, there is something I want to go get,” she explained. “Then we kind of morphed into the story of, like, there is desert, there is dunes, there is a leopard. Crazy, now we’re, like, Mad Max. Then we’re like, okay, huntress, hunting. There is the story of pursuing something, and then we just kind of built the world in there.”
On court, the No. 16 seed pulled away after a close opening set, defeating Jiménez Kasintseva 7-5, 6-2. The match marked Osaka’s first appearance since she withdrew from the Australian Open prior to a scheduled third-round meeting with Maddison Inglis because of a left abdominal injury.
Reflecting on that withdrawal, she acknowledged frustration. “I was really disappointed, because it’s something that I have done to myself before, and I feel like every year I go through that specific injury. Every year I can kind of, like, feel it starting to happen,” she said.
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Sinner debuts ‘Jannik Sinner Unfiltered’ and admits failing motorbike test three times
Sinner’s new YouTube series shows Indian Wells; he admits failing his motorbike test three times. OK
Jannik Sinner launched a personal video series on his YouTube channel, opening with the line “Morning guys, what’s up?” The debut episode, released on Friday, gave the four-time major winner’s 184,000 subscribers a relaxed look at his time in Indian Wells, including scenes on the golf course and behind the wheel.
Sinner, who joined the creator community following his second Australian Open title in 2025, answered fan questions and traded banter with coach Darren Cahill during a breakfast segment. Cahill asked, “I have a good question for you. Do you promise to answer this one honestly?” Sinner replied, “OK, I’ll try,” before Cahill pressed, “How many times have you failed your test to gain your motorbike license?” After a brief exchange and Cahill insisting, “NO, answer the question!” Sinner smiled at the camera and admitted, “three times.”
The video touched on small habits and career reflections. In response to “Do you have a pre-match ritual?,” Sinner said, “Usually I always go to the same toilet. But it depends year by year. If the year before I didn’t play well, I change.” He also revealed that he tends to live out of his suitcase rather than unpacking immediately, wants to become fluent in either Spanish or French and “usually” ties his right shoe first.
Sinner identified two career high points. “One when I reached No. 1 in 2024, it was during Roland Garros. I really enjoyed that moment,” he said. “And the other one was when I won Wimbledon. It was not even a dream, because it was unrealistic when I was young to win such a big tournament. Winning the title with my parents there, my brother, great friends. It was for sure the happiest moment I ever had on a tennis court.”
The world No. 2 enters the season following a dominant run in the Sunshine Double, completing the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open without dropping a set and bringing his career trophy total to 26.
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Confessional Cart: Players Explain Why Tennis Is Seen as the Sexiest Sport
Players on ‘Confessional Cart’ at the BNP Paribas Open debated why tennis is the sexiest sport. Now.
The short-form series “Confessional Cart” returned at the BNP Paribas Open with a roster of ATP and WTA players answering offbeat questions during rides back to the locker rooms. One recurring topic across the season was a light but pointed debate: what makes tennis the sexiest sport?
Atheistically and technically, I think it’s very nice to look at,” responded Casper Ruud. “I’ve seen tons of pictures of Roger being compared to like a ballerina or dancer.
Sights and sounds factored heavily in other players’ replies. “Because of grunts, because of muscles. And for sure, because of outfits,” felt Marta Kostyuk. The theme of attire returned in another voice: “We wear nice outfits. And it’s subtle, not too revealing but still kind of classy,” added Ajla Tomljanovic.
Beyond visuals, several players pointed to the raw emotion that the sport produces. Said Chris Eubanks, “The grunting, the emotion, the passion. I think it’s just the best all around sport when you combine men and women.” His comment captured a common throughline: tennis is experienced as a mixture of athletic display and personal intensity.
The conversation also leaned into the physicality and effort on display. “There is a lot of grunting and a lot of sweating. It’s one against one or sometimes two against two,” laughed Matteo Berrettini. “Cut that, cut that.”
The topic earned a concise endorsement from a fellow player. Tommy Paul asserted, “Matteo Berrettini. That’s why it’s the sexiest sport.”
Across brief segments on the series, players offered overlapping reasons: form, sound, clothing choices and emotional intensity. The format allowed candid, often humorous takes that do not arise in standard media sessions, and the BNP Paribas Open setting provided the backdrop for those informal conversations.
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Rafael Jodar’s Rapid Rise: From No. 908 to the Edge of the Top 100
Jodar climbed from No. 908 to the verge of the Top 100 after Challenger titles and Masters wins now.
A year after appearing at No. 908 in the ATP rankings on March 17, 2025, Rafael Jodar has accelerated into the tour’s higher levels and stands poised to enter the Top 100 by the end of the Sunshine Double. The Madrid-born 19-year-old, who had been a freshman at the University of Virginia, turned professional and quickly began compiling results across the Challenger and ATP circuits.
Jodar won two qualifying matches at Hard Rock Stadium and then secured his first main-draw victory at an ATP Masters 1000 event, defeating Yannick Hanfmann, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Speaking during a marketing shoot at Indian Wells, Jodar said of stepping onto the sport’s biggest stages in 2026, “It’s a great opportunity to share the court with these players that I’ve been watching since I was very young. I’m super grateful for all the work I’ve been doing these past seasons and years. Let’s take this and try to maximize the opportunity to give my best tennis level.”
His ascent owes much to a breakout 2025 on the ATP Challenger Tour. While ranked outside the Top 900, he reached the semifinals at Morelos in April and went on to capture three hard-court titles, including one on his college campus in Charlottesville, alongside four additional semifinal appearances. “All those matches helped me a lot, to get a lot of experience. I learned a lot from the matches, even the ones that didn’t go the way I wanted,” he said. “At the end of the day, playing against different types of games and opponents is what matters.”
Jodar earned one of eight spots at December’s NexGen ATP Finals in Jeddah and opted to forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility before the new year. He opened 2026 with a runner-up finish at the Canberra Challenger, advanced through three Australian Open qualifying rounds and claimed his first major match win over Rei Sakamoto in a fifth set. Early-season ATP victories followed at Delray Beach (250) and Acapulco (500) in February as he continued his climb.
Asked about rankings, Jodar was measured. “It would be nice to be in the Top 100 but it’s not a thing that is one of the main goals this year. The main goal is to improve, to get better every day,” he said.
Carlos Alcaraz, who worked with Jodar at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga when Jodar served as a hitting partner, praised his temperament and game. “I really like the way that he plays. No fear. Having no respect to anybody when he step in the court,” Alcaraz said. “Off the court he’s a really nice guy. Have huge respect to everybody who’s in the tour. But once he step in the court, he believes in himself and he believes he can beat anybody.
“So that’s what I like the most (about) him. For me, it’s not surprising at all how good he’s doing in the tour and how far he’s breaking in the tour and being close to the Top 100.”
Reflecting on that relationship as our conversation ended, Jodar added, “He’s super close, a very good human being. I’m very happy with the way he treats the other Spanish players.”
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