Will Indian Wells mark liftoff for Joao Fonseca in 2026? 

The Brazilian with the booming forehand and massive following reached the third round for the first time after saving two match points against Karen Khachanov. 

The yellow shirts of the Brazilian faithful at Stadium 3 matched the sunshine in Tennis Paradise in Fonseca’s 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4 win. 

“The support meant a lot today,” Fonseca told TennisTV, the ATP’s official streaming service. “It was something very effective in my match. It helped me a lot to keep believing.”

But even his fans might have thought that Fonseca was out of the tournament when he sent a backhand into the net to trail 6-4 in the tiebreak. Fonseca shook his head in dismay. 

Khachanov, though, sent a backhand wide on the first match point before Fonseca delivered a swerving ace down the middle. A forehand volley winner at 7-7 got the supporters out of their seats. 

The momentum with Fonseca, the 19-year-old sealed the set and never trailed again against the two-time Grand Slam semifinalist.

“Those are the victories I really look for,” said Fonseca, who lost to Khachanov in Paris in late October. “I’m happy with the way I fought. In the third set, I played really well as well, so very, very happy.” 

He’ll take “a lot of confidence” from the victory, especially with how his season started. Fonseca pulled out of his two scheduled events prior to the Australian Open because of a back injury. 

He later lost his Buenos Aires opener on clay as the defending champion and exited in the second round at home in Rio.

“The first months of the year were a little bit tough, getting the rhythm and getting back from injury,” he said. “Now, a great match against a great player. I know how experienced he is.”

Get the popcorn ready for Fonseca’s next outing. He’ll face North Carolina native Tommy Paul. 

There was more drama around the grounds…

Siniakova overcomes Fernandez in marathon 

The longest women’s singles match in Indian Wells history came in 2021, when Martina Trevisan beat Marie Bouzkova in three hours, 52 minutes. 

Katerina Siniakova and Leylah Fernandez weren’t far off that mark at Stadium 4. 

Siniakova edged the 2021 US Open finalist in three hours, 28 minutes, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(1). 

The duo combined to save 29 of 37 break points, none maybe more important than the four that Siniakova wiped away at 3-4 in the decider.

Siniakova — a singles title winner and multiple Slam champ in doubles — hung on at 5-6 before surging in the tiebreak. 

Before their outing, Britain’s Sonay Kartal also won a third-set tiebreak against No. 20 seed Emma Navarro, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(2). 

Kartal — who made the fourth round last year as a lucky loser — saved a match point at 5-6 in the third as Navarro put a cross-court forehand into the net to end a lengthy rally. The 2024 US Open semifinalist from South Carolina slipped to 4-8 this season.

After Siniakova and Fernandez wrapped up, Alexander Bublik went the distance against Vit Kopriva. 

The No. 10 seed lost the first set, then recovered (3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2). No, Bublik didn’t need to save any match points versus the lucky loser who made the Rio semifinals.

Michelsen’s late night thriller 

The long matches meant that Alex Michelsen’s clash with Ugo Humbert was moved from Stadium 4 to Stadium 5.

And what a match it turned out to be under the lights.

Michelsen recovered after missing out on three straight match points in the second set, beating the No. 32 seed, 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(6) in two hours, 46 minutes. 

On one of those match points, he erred on a forehand volley with Humbert stranded. 

But a forehand volley winner on the stretch at 6-6 in the final set tiebreak handed Michelsen a fifth match point, which he duly took when Humbert’s backhand flew long. 

Up next for Michelsen is his fellow Californian, Taylor Fritz.