Tennis Paradise is officially in full bloom. An enthusiastic crowd gathered by the giant video board outside of Stadium 1 on Monday to watch the unveiling of this year’s men’s and women’s singles draws, with Petra Kvitova, Reilly Opelka and BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director Tommy Haas in attendance. 

192 singles players, two draws, one dream: scroll down to read about four first-round matchups you won’t want to miss.

Rising Star Makes Debut: Joao Fonseca vs Jacob Fearnley

All eyes will be on 18-year-old Joao Fonseca when he takes the court for a very challenging first round tilt with Great Britain’s Jacob Fearnley. Those who have witnessed the Brazilian wunderkind surge up the rankings over the last two months know why this will be one of the more heavily anticipated desert debuts in recent memory. 

Fonseca won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January, and last month became the tenth-youngest title winner in ATP history at Buenos Aires. Now firmly entrenched inside the ATP’s Top 100, Fonseca is highly touted but still green (with just two Masters 1000 matches under his belt). He’ll have his hands full with the rising Brit Fearnley, a former Texas Christian University standout who defeated Nick Kyrgios en route to the third round at this year’s Australian Open. 

The winner faces No. 13-seeded Jack Draper in round two.

Legend Seeking Past Glory: Naomi Osaka vs Camila Osorio 

2018 BNP Paribas Open champion Naomi Osaka started her 2025 campaign in Auckland by reaching her first WTA final since the spring of 2022. An abdominal strain forced her to retire after winning the first set of the final and she struggled with the same issue at the Australian Open, where she was defeated by Belinda Bencic in the third round. 

Healthy once again, the four-time Slam champion will look to resume her climb up the rankings when she meets Colombia’s Camila Osorio in the first round. 23-year-old Osorio, ranked three spots higher than Osaka at No. 53, will be bidding for her first win in the California desert.

The winner faces No. 22-seeded Clara Tauson in the second round.

Ageless Wonders Lock Horns: Gael Monfils vs Jan-Lennard Struff 

The term ageless wonder is not one to be used lightly, but when it comes to Gael Monfils, the man who became the oldest player to ever win an ATP title at Auckland in January, it’s appropriate. At the Australian Open two weeks later, the magical Monfils became the second-oldest man to reach the second week since 1988. In that time span only the great Roger Federer has achieved the feat at an older age. 

The oldest player in this year’s men’s singles draw will face 34-year-old Jan-Lennard Struff, another tried-and-true veteran, in his first-round match. 

They are playing for a bout against No. 24-seeded Sebastian Korda in round two. 

Former Slam Champs Clash: Sloane Stephens vs Sofia Kenin 

Could this battle of former Grand Slam champions and Top 5 talents feature as a springboard to bigger things? Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin met in the first round in 2023, with Kenin coming through in straight sets, and the pair’s third career meeting presents an opportunity to pick up a much-needed win on a big stage.  

31-year-old Stephens, a quarterfinalist in the desert in 2014, comes to California on a 10-match losing streak. Kenin, fresh off a quarterfinal run in Dubai, looks to extend the impressive form that has her back in the Top 50 for the first time since last July. 

The winner faces 12th-seeded Daria Kasatkina in the second round.