Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor has been walking on sunshine in the California desert. The gifted 28-year-old snapped a career-long drought against Top 5 players when he upended top-seeded Alexander Zverev in the second round. Griekspoor, 6’2” and powerfully built, chose not to celebrate the win with too much gusto – instead, he’s planning his next move. 

“It’s not like I went to party after,” he said of his win over the German, which marked his first triumph in 19 tries against the Top 5. “I felt like it was a matter of time for that win to come, so I guess it was a bit more relief than happiness.” 

Griekspoor, a former World No. 21 now ranked 43, has been waiting for – even expecting – this type of breakthrough for a long time. Now that he’s made it, and also advanced into the Round of 16 at Indian Wells for the first time in his career, he’s dead set on accomplishing more. 

“Maybe it’s a little bit of an experience thing,” he told reporters after taking out French flame-thrower Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in straight sets on Sunday in Stadium 4. “I always brought good tennis against these guys, I just never got it over the line. 

“I guess I just had to keep on going, keep on working, keep on doing the right things. I feel that is what I did well in the last few months, and if you do, you will get rewarded at some point.”

Griekspoor grew up with a pair of twin brothers, Scott and Kevin, who were also ATP players and five years older than him. The talented twins primed their little brother to be the best of the bunch, and when Tallon finally outpaced them, they stepped back to let him take center stage. 

“I think I was 22 or 23 and I passed them in the rankings,” he said, adding that one or both of them travels with him to tournaments whenever they can. “That moment, for them, was time to stop. They felt like ‘Now it’s enough. You go ahead and we’ll just watch from the side.’

“They helped me a lot, and I’m pretty sure that without them I would not be here, or I would not be the same player today. I’m thankful for that. They are still very involved in my tennis. It’s a nice thing to have your family, and especially brothers close by.” 

Though Griekspoor passed his brothers, it still took a while for the Haarlem, Netherlands native to reach his potential on tour. He didn’t crack the Top 100 until 2021, when he was 25 years of age. 

He needed time to grow his game and belief. 

“I believe in the fact that for everybody it happens when it happens,” Griekspoor told reporters on Sunday. “I always believed in myself, I always kept working and doing the right things and I always felt like it would happen when the time is right. 

“I feel like the whole path that I took brought me to where I am today. I wouldn’t change it for a thing. Of course I would like to be 22 now and have this ranking, but it is what it is. I still have so many years of tennis in me and I feel like the experience is only gonna help me get better and better.”

He may be approaching his 29th birthday this summer, but Griekspoor feels young in tennis years. He believes great things are within his reach.

“I do believe that I can make the Top 10 and I have been saying that for a year already,” he said. “[Getting used to playing at this level] took some time as well, and now I feel like I’m ready to be here. I’m ready to take the next step and hopefully that’s what I’m going to do this coming year.”

Griekspoor will face Yosuke Watanuki in the round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday.