Coco, other lady stars, respond after top men’s losses at BNP

INDIAN WELLS — So Francis Tiafoe forgot to bring his racquet—and then forgot to bring his game—and Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev also took a fall before even taking a step.

But just before the BNP Paribas Open was left with contestants almost so anonymous name tags were needed, on came the ladies.  

Sunday night the defending women’s champ, Iga Swiatek, won her match. Then, on Monday, Aryna Sabalenka, who had overtaken Swiatek as the world’s No. 1 player, got her win. Then Coco Gauff, America’s highest-ranking woman, followed.

In an Indian Wells stadium full of sunlight—with the temperature at a comfortable 81 degrees but strangely lacking spectators—Coco Gauff defeated Maria Sakkari 7-6, 6-2. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka overwhelmed Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-2. The day began with Madison Keys of the US, a recent Australian Open champion, winning 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 over Elise Mertens. In that group, you could say form followed function or did function follow form? Either way, the girls who were supposed to win, did.

The gentlemen, as they are referred to in tennis, had their own response on Monday. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-2. 

The BNP is arguably the biggest event other than the four Grand Slam Championships. It is often referred to as the “Fifth Major”, particularly by Californians, who despite a long history in the game, have lost every other tournament in the state.

Strange things happen in the California desert each year. New courts were laid down at Indian Wells before this year, and while you wouldn’t think it mattered unless you’re a top-flight player, there’s been a debate over whether the courts are faster or slower than the old ones.

There is no debate that Gauff, who will turn 20 Thursday, is being hailed as America’s latest tennis sweetheart, in the wake of such stars as Maureen Connally, Billie Jean King, and Chris Evert. Gauff already had her major, taking the U.S. Open in 2023. Lately, however, she has stumbled, double-faulting her way to frustration. Whether she is prepared to catch and pass Sabalenka and Swiatek is a legitimate question. We might have a better clue at the end of this BNP which concludes on Sunday.

Sakkari defeated Gauff in last year’s BNP semi-finals, so this could be seen as a bit of revenge, as well as a considerable advancement. Said Gauff of the match versus Sakkari, “I think we were both struggling a little bit with finding the rhythm, and I was just trying to stay solid on my end of the court. I’ve been in the process of trying to continue with the changing of my serve. It’s tough trying to learn a new motion.”

Gauff was asked about Keys, who broke through finally in the Australian Open.

“Definitely inspiring,” Gauff said about Keys’ victory Down Under, “because I’m in that process.”

Inspiring is an appropriate word to describe the way the top winners have played, off-setting the efforts of the high-ranked men.