Joao Fonseca arrived at Indian Wells under the radar and left with momentum. The 19-year-old visited a live podcast set at the tournament’s Paradise Pavilion after a third-round victory over Tommy Paul and spent time with the hosts and a live audience before returning to the courts.

“It was a great atmosphere, both sides,” said the 19-year-old. Fonseca had been hampered early in the season, arriving in the desert with a 1-3 record. He attributed his improved form to recovering rhythm after injury. “First months of the year, I was struggling a bit with injury, and getting back with rhythm,” he said.

The unseeded Brazilian opened with a win over Raphael Collignon, then produced a dramatic upset of No. 16 seed Karen Khachanov, saving two match points en route to victory. “Those are the victories we look for on tour. Saved match points, had ups and downs, got through and fought a lot,” Fonseca told Prakash Amritraj after that match.

He followed with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Tommy Paul to set up a night match in Stadium 1 against Jannik Sinner. The scoreline shows straight sets, but the matches were tight: Fonseca pushed Sinner to two tiebreaks, losing 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4). The effort suggested he has the tools to challenge top players as he gains experience.

“I think the most different thing from, I don’t know, a Top 50 guy and a Top 10 guy is the consistency,” said Fonseca. “The level is pretty similar, but…making results every week, getting onto the court with not playing well and trying to get the win is just such a big thing.”

I’m trying to get as much experience as I can in my second year playing the big tournaments, and trying to understand how the the top players play and how to do daily. Joao Fonseca on The Big T

He also reflected on playing at last year’s Laver Cup for Team World and on watching elite players up close as part of his development, calling the experience valuable for shaping his own path.

Jack Draper produced one of the most physical, riveting matches of the season to edge Novak Djokovic and advance to the Indian Wells quarterfinals, where Daniil Medvedev awaits.

Medvedev had previewed Wednesday night’s showdown with a clear expectation of a grind: “I would be surprised if it’s a one-sided match,” Medvedev said when he was asked about Wednesday night’s fourth-round encounter between Draper and Novak Djokovic. “I think it’s going to be very, very physical battle where you don’t know who’s gonna win.”

That is exactly what unfolded. Draper, returning from a lengthy injury layoff and initially cautious, grew into the match as the crowd built behind him. He chased down balls, produced aggressive forehands, crafted deep backhand returns and converted audacious passing shots that left Djokovic impressed and the stadium buzzing. The contest reached a third-set tiebreak that swung back and forth, with little to separate the two and momentum shifting with each point.

“I got the crowd backing me, and I felt the energy,” said Djokovic, who nearly rose from the grave once again late in the third. “It was, like, ‘Maybe I’m gonna take this one.’ It was so close, so close. I mean, just unfortunate few mistakes from my side. Tiebreak, 4-3 up. 5-all, as well. That’s tennis.”

Draper’s willingness to stay aggressive, especially from his backhand wing in the decisive moments, paid off and earned him the victory. The win sets up a quick turnaround: Draper must recover in less than 24 hours to face Medvedev.

Medvedev, meanwhile, handled Alex Michelsen earlier in the day, beating him 6-2, 6-4 in routine fashion, extending his winning streak to eight and carrying title-winning form from Dubai into Indian Wells. The two have met once before, with Medvedev prevailing 7-5, 6-4 in Rome two years ago. The matchup offers a tactical contrast: Draper’s lefty serve and spin against Medvedev’s ability to keep the ball low and flat with his two-handed backhand.

If Draper can recover quickly and play with the same freedom, another memorable night is possible. My pick: Winner: Medvedev

Arthur Fils used a lengthy injury layoff to rework key elements of his game and has seen measurable progress at the BNP Paribas Open. Sidelined from the tour for nearly eight months last spring with a debilitating back injury, the 21-year-old Frenchman returned this season having altered his serve and forehand mechanics and adjusted his diet with a nutritionist.

Through to the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open for the second straight year, Fils explained the technical changes he made while away, including shortening his forehand take-back. After his fourth-round victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime he said: “We’ve worked on a couple of things, the serve, the forehand, even the movement on the court with the fitness coach,” he said after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round. “We work on a lot of things, and even now we are still working on it. We’re trying to improve every day, and it’s working pretty good.

“I was moving good, but sometimes I was wasting a lot of energy … we had a great talk with my fitness coach, my tennis coach and the whole team that said I can move even better without wasting that much energy. So that’s what we are trying to do now. Of course, when it gets very tight, I start to move crazy again! You have to chase the ball, right? But I think we’re doing great work.”

Fils’ win over Auger-Aliassime marked his eighth career Top 10 victory and placed him in a small group of French players to reach that mark, a distinction the ATP notes was previously achieved by Yannick Noah and Thierry Tulasne. Now ranked No. 32, Fils will face Alexander Zverev next, a player he has met six times. On the pressure of points and the process, Fils added: “The points, they leave, they come back, it’s OK,” he said of his current perch of No. 32 in the ATP rankings. “Sometimes you win some matches; sometimes you lose some. The points is not a big pressure for me.

“The only pressure that I got was would I be able to come back to my level to where I left, you know. That was the only question. You know, I talk a lot with my team, my friends about it. I’m, like, ‘Well, I know I will be back, but what level?’

“I just had to keep working, stay very patient, like you said, because it’s long, it’s a long process. … So [I] just stay very focused on the work, try to not watch the other players because, well, it’s nice to watch them for one tournament or a second tournament, but then you start to feel, OK, the guys are improving a lot. ]