Aryna Sabalenka introduced an unmistakable piece of jewelry to the Indian Wells courts as she began her 2026 BNP Paribas Open campaign. Wearing a 12-karat diamond engagement ring, the world No. 1 defeated Himeno Sakatsume, 6-4, 6-2, in her first match since the Australian Open.

“It’s very comfortable,” the world No. 1 said of the ring in her post-match press conference. “We double-checked if there is a possibility to lose the diamond, and there is none, so I was pretty confident wearing this ring, and it feels comfy, feels shiny.

“I hope that my opponent will get distracted with this diamond and it’s going to benefit me,” she added with a laugh.

Sabalenka announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Georgios Frangulis in the lead-up to the tournament, sharing the ring on social media and showing it around the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The oval-cut stone was set in platinum with a curved band and accenting emeralds. The piece was designed by Isabela Grutman, wife of Sabalenka’s good friend and entrepreneur David Grutman.

“We spent months working on the design, selecting the stones, and perfecting every detail of the craftsmanship to make it truly special for Aryna,” Grutman told *Page Six Style* . What made it even more meaningful was Georgios’ idea to incorporate emeralds into the design, as it’s her favorite stone—a personal touch that makes the ring uniquely hers.”

Sabalenka said she had encouraged Frangulis to propose over recent months but was surprised by the moment when it happened. “I was crying half of the time, because I thought that I looked ugly, not prepared, and this is such a beautiful moment,” she said on Friday. “I stopped everything, and I asked the videographer and the photographer to make sure that my face is not there, just the ring, and, I don’t know, side views and from the back, just so you guys wouldn’t be shocked by the way I looked.

“In the end, it looked better,” she clarified later on. “It looked real, it looked like it was a real surprise. Honestly, I’m super happy with the way they all did it to me.”

Three matches to watch as the tournament settles into its opening week, each carrying a distinct storyline.

Alexander Zverev arrives with fresh intent and a mixed history at this event. “I like to play golf here,” he said. “Historically I didn’t like to play tennis here.” His 13-9 record at Indian Wells and absence of a semifinal appearance underline that unease, yet Zverev is taking a different approach this season. “But that could change,” he added, pointing to a more aggressive plan. “Take more risks, maybe take some losses like in Acapulco along the way, but play the right way.” His first test comes against Matteo Berrettini, who leads their head-to-head 4-3 and beat Zverev at Wimbledon in 2023 and in Monte Carlo, 7-5 in the third set, in 2025. Berrettini’s tight win over Adrian Mannarino left him cramping and unable to get up for six minutes after a near three-hour match; he produced 26 forehand winners and was 12 for 12 at net. Fitness and who can impose their game will decide this one.

Coco Gauff returns to home courts for the first time in 2026 buoyed by recent results. “The weather is great as usual, so I’m excited to go out there and play.” She cites the U.S. athletes at the Olympics as inspiration and reached the semifinals in Dubai in February. That tournament has recently been elevated to a 1000, but Gauff says she still thinks of Indian Wells as the first event of the year of that stature. Serve pressure will be the story for her here; she has not solved every serving issue but it has not derailed her season as it did last year. Gauff beat 88th-ranked Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3 at the Australian Open, leads her 2-0 and is 11-5 at Indian Wells. Rakhimova arrives having won two qualifying matches and survived a three-set opener with Bianca Andreescu.

Ben Shelton has climbed the draw each year at Indian Wells — second round in 2023, fourth round in 2024, quarterfinals in 2025 — and he may already be eyeing a meeting with Jannik Sinner in the last eight. “It gives you a lot of confidence as a competitor when you’re getting through the tough ones and coming up in the clutch moments,” he said of his performance in Dallas, where he saved match points against Taylor Fritz in the final. “I played my best tennis when my back was against the wall, so I take a lot of confidence from that.” He faces Reilly Opelka, a servebot who can hold serve almost at will; Opelka is ranked 68th, 60 spots below Shelton. Shelton is 2-0 against his countryman, though one match featured two tiebreakers and the other finished 7-5 in the third.

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.