There’s nothing quite like draw day in Tennis Paradise. Even with first round byes for the top 32 seeds, you’re always guaranteed exciting first-round matches in the desert. 

So after Monday’s draw, here are three matchups that might particularly stand out. 

Denis Shapovalov vs Stefanos Tsitsipas 

You’ll habitually find Canadian fans making the trek to Tennis Paradise to catch the vibe and support their own, which includes Denis Shapovalov. That being said, Greek flags always seem to feature when Stefanos Tsitsipas plays. 

A two-time Grand Slam finalist and longtime fixture in the Top 10 — with five calendar year finishes in the Top 10 — these are now rockier times for Tsitsipas. 

When he lost his opening match in Dubai as the defending champion last month, he fell outside the Top 40 for the first time since 2018. 

Shapovalov returns to North America after opting to go  from Dallas to Dubai. The flashy lefty made the semifinals in Dallas (as the defending champ), adding to his uplifting 2025 campaign. 

The former No. 10 won two titles for the first time in a season. 

Shapovalov leads Tsitsipas 4-2 in their head-to-heads — winning all four of their hard-court duels, losing one set. 

Peyton Stearns vs Solana Sierra

Peyton Stearns played one of the most memorable matches in recent history in Tennis Paradise. 

In 2024, Stearns and her heavy forehand stretched No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka to a final set tiebreak in nearly three hours in the second round. 

Stearns had four match points on her own serve at 5-4 in the third set and was broken again at 6-5, before seeing Sabalenka claim the tiebreak 8-6. 

“At the net she said, ‘I had you,’ and she’s right,” Sabalenka memorably said afterwards. 

Stearns entered that edition after a first-round loss in Austin. But in 2026, she comes in as the reigning champion in Austin. 

Stearns won her second career title over the weekend when she beat Taylor Townsend. 

It added to her fond memories of playing in Texas — Stearns was a three-time All American at the University of Texas. 

Stearns, up to 48th in the rankings, has never faced the 65th-ranked Solana Sierra from Argentina. 

Sierra has lost her last three matches — but made the fourth round at Wimbledon last year as a lucky loser. 

Joao Fonseca vs Raphael Collignon 

The Joao Fonseca freight train has slowed in 2026, thanks largely to a back injury. 

The 19-year-old phenom had to withdraw from both of his Australian Open tuneup events, not the ideal buildup to the year’s first major. 

He enters Indian Wells with a 1-3 singles record in 2026, but did experience a significant high when he won the doubles title at home in Rio alongside his 42-year-old compatriot, Marcelo Melo. 

He embarks on his second campaign in the desert, losing to eventual champion Jack Draper in the second round a year ago. 

In Raphael Collignon, the power baseliner meets a Belgian who idolized Rafael Nadal. And like Nadal, Collignon can win points by counterpunching or being aggressive early in rallies. 

Fonseca beat the current No. 77 in the Davis Cup in 2024 but after that, Collignon sizzled in the Davis Cup. 

He overcame cramps to beat Alex de Minaur on the road in the Davis Cup in 2025 for a first Top 10 win.