Joao Fonseca continued a breakthrough week at the Masters 1000 event, recording a straight-sets victory over Tommy Paul to reach the fourth round. The 19-year-old Brazilian produced a commanding performance on Sunday, winning 6-2, 6-3 and moving into the round of 16 at a Masters 1000 for the first time in his career.

Fonseca’s run at the tournament has been defined by grit and an ability to raise his level against established opponents. On Saturday he survived what was among his toughest matches of the week, coming back from double match point down at 6-4 in the second-set tiebreak to beat Karen Khachanov, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4. Less than 24 hours later he cut through Paul’s game with cleaner ball striking and aggressive court positioning to close out the victory in two sets.

Those consecutive wins underline a broader trend in Fonseca’s results against top opposition. The Brazilian teenager has now won seven of his last eight matches against Top 30 players since last September.

JOAO FONSECA VS TOP 30 PLAYERS SINCE ’25 US OPEN: 7-1

Reaching the round of 16 at a Masters 1000 event represents a milestone for Fonseca and reflects steady progress on the tour. His recent sequence of results — including the comeback over Khachanov and the decisive victory against Paul — has reinforced his reputation as a young player capable of competing with higher-ranked opponents on the biggest stages. As the tournament moves on, Fonseca will carry the confidence of his first Masters 1000 last-16 appearance into whatever challenge awaits next.

A decade after sitting courtside and dreaming of big moments, Learner Tien translated that memory into a signature win at his home tournament. Tien defeated No. 8 seed Ben Shelton 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3 to reach the Indian Wells fourth round for the first time.

“It means a lot,” Tien told reporters after his 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3 win. “The court I played on today, I remember exactly where I was sitting in that same stadium when I was a kid , so it’s really cool, it’s really a full-circle moment for me. Just really special to play here and especially to win here.”

Shelton had earlier skipped the customary press conference following a second-round comeback against Reilly Opelka because he was feeling unwell. Tien acknowledged that condition but also stressed Shelton’s competitiveness. “came out not feeling 100%, but he’s an amazing competitor and he came out and gave it his all.”

On the court, Shelton leveraged his big serve to hold the initiative through much of the first set, but Tien seized the tiebreak by winning the opening three points. The third set featured exchanged holds, with each player saving a break point at the start, before Tien reeled off three straight games from 2-2 to close out the match. The match lasted two hours and 10 minutes and pushed Tien’s head-to-head record against Shelton to 2-0.

The victory continued a recent trend for Tien against higher-ranked opponents; he now has a 6-5 career mark against the game’s top players. He will face No. 18 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the fourth round and arrives with an 0-1 head-to-head deficit as he pursues his first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal.

Tien emphasized his match approach regardless of ranking or reputation. “Whether I’m a favorite or whether I’m an underdog, I go out, and I don’t really think about it,” he said. “Rankings and previous matches go out the window. You’re just trying to work through the current match. Whether I’m a favorite or whether I’m not, I just go out there and I just try to compete as hard as I can.”

Jannik Sinner struck a balance between gratitude and candor after moving into the fourth round of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open. The world No. 2 spoke at length about the rewards of life on tour and the parts of the job that do not suit him.

When asked directly about what he disliked in professional tennis, Sinner did not hesitate to single out the media routines that accompany success. He explained that he values time on court and close company while acknowledging that repeated interview cycles are not his favorite activity.

Q. Jannik, you have to really love the tour life to continue doing it and enjoy most aspects of it, but I’m wondering if there is something about being in professional tennis that you really dislike?

JANNIK SINNER: Dislike?

Q. Yeah.

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, press conference (smiling), answering always the same questions.

I mean, it’s not dislike. It’s just part of the job, you know. I like to get out, play, and then live, you know.

But for me, I think we have a beautiful life, you know. We see so many great places. Obviously doing over and over every year, you know, you always go to the same places, so you know already before what kind of places you like a little bit more and some what you like slightly less.

I think we have a very nice, very nice life, very safe life also, in a way, of having great people around. I’m in a position, a very fortunate position, that I can travel with many people also, you know. Here I have a couple of friends, and it helps me so much.

So I don’t really have something what I dislike. I think it’s more just all around, you know, I’m doing this kind of here, media, I’m not the kind of guy who likes it. You know, I don’t want and I don’t need to show.

Q. The attention doesn’t align with your personality very well?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, kind of. For me, I like playing tennis, you know, and I like to spend time with the people I love and also sharing nice moments with the team. This is how I am, you know.

On court, the Italian has been efficient in the desert. Yet to drop a set at the event, he eased into the Round of 16 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Denis Shapovalov, a result that kept his run moving forward without adding to the off-court demands he prefers to avoid.