GOLF SECRETS: ALCARAZ AND ZVEREV BATTLE DAILY ON THE LINKS DURING INDIAN WELLS BREAKS
Explore how Alexander Zverev and Alcaraz maintain their competitive edge through daily high-stakes golf at Indian Wells.
Indian Wells is usually all about the drama on those purple hard courts, but lately, there’s been a different kind of rivalry heating up in the California sun.
Turns out, when they’re not battling it out in front of thousands, some of the world’s best tennis players find other ways to keep their edge. This time, the action moved from the tennis courts to the golf course. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev all decided to swap rackets for golf clubs and sneak in a few rounds while the tournament was on break.
You don’t often see these guys drop their game faces, but the golf course brings out something different. Zverev talked about it after his match with Frances Tiafoe. He let slip that this wasn’t just a one-off thing; he and Alcaraz actually play almost every day. "Carlos and I played every day, almost, actually. Novak joined us two days ago,” he said. You can tell these guys are just as competitive on the golf course as they are on the tennis court. Zverev figures his own handicap is around 8, and Alcaraz is right there with him. So, the matches get pretty intense.
When Novak joined in, Zverev said, “Yeah, it was fun.” Djokovic admits he isn’t quite at their level, but honestly, it’s still funny to hear Zverev talk up Alcaraz’s skills and then just casually toss in, “Oh, and Novak played too.”
Tennis and golf actually go hand in hand more than you’d think. Both demand crazy hand-eye coordination, serious focus, and that explosive twist in the body. A bunch of tennis pros have got hooked on golf, but a few have really stood out. Mardy Fish, for example, is probably the best golfer the ATP Tour has ever produced. He made it to World No. 7 in tennis, then switched gears and started winning celebrity golf tournaments, including the American Century Championship. In 2022, he even played the 3M Open on the PGA Tour, which makes him the first person ever to compete on both the ATP and PGA Tours.
Ash Barty, who shocked everyone by retiring as world number one, is also a scratch golfer. She’s won a ladies’ club championship in Australia, and golf legend Karrie Webb has said Barty could totally win as an amateur.
Rafael Nadal? The guy’s a monster on the golf course, too. He plays to a 0.3 handicap, which is basically pro level, and he’s finished as high as sixth in the Balearic Golf Championships in Spain.
Then there’s Pete Sampras, whose smooth tennis serve translates into a killer golf swing. He’s played to a scratch or near-scratch handicap for years and pops up at a lot of Pro-Am events.
And after he retired, Ivan Lendl really got obsessed with golf. He plays off a low single-digit handicap and has even tried his luck at professional senior qualifiers and on the celebrity circuit.
Guess the competition never really leaves these guys, no matter what sport they pick up.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
