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The second round concluded on Day 4 (March 8) of the BNP Paribas Open 2025 at Indian Wells. The tournament has been rocked by upsets right from the start, and the fourth day was no different in that regard.
Tenth seed Emma Navarro had one foot out of the door but saved a couple of match points en route to a gutsy win over Sorana Cirstea. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka began her Indian Wells campaign with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over McCartney Kessler.
Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 win over Quentin Halys. While quite a few high-profile names reached the third round unscathed, some weren't as fortunate. Here's a look at five of the most shocking upsets on Day 4 of the BNP Paribas Open:
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#5. Amanda Anisimova
Amanda Anisimova won the season's first WTA 1000 tournament at the Qatar Open. Unfortunately, things have taken a turn for the worse for her since then. She failed to cross the first hurdle at the next WTA 1000 in Dubai and couldn't get a win under her belt in Indian Wells either.
After a first-round bye, Anisimova took on a resurgent Belinda Bencic. The American dug deep to take the second set in a tie-break after losing the first one. However, she ran out of steam in the decider and meekly lost the match 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1. As for the Swiss, this is another feather in her cap since her return from maternity leave. She will face 13th seed Diana Shnaider in the third round.
#4. Andrey Rublev
Winning the Qatar Open hasn't worked out for Andrey Rublev either. He crashed out in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships and slumped to another early exit at the BNP Paribas Open. He was up against Matteo Arnaldi after a first-round bye and lost to him 6-4, 7-5.
Since reaching the Indian Wells semifinals in 2022, Rublev has lost earlier in subsequent editions. He bowed out in the fourth round in 2023 and was eliminated in the third round in 2024. He has now failed to advance beyond the second round. Arnaldi, meanwhile, will next take on 32nd seed Brandon Nakashima.
#3. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Felix Auger-Aliassime has been one of the most in-form players this season. He's the only player to win two titles this year and arrived at the BNP Paribas Open on the heels of a runner-up finish at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Many expected him to make a deep run, given his results this year.
Auger-Aliassime faced Jenson Brooksby in the second round, who's on the comeback trail after a lengthy hiatus. However, the latter played like he hadn't even left the tour, scoring a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win.
The loss continued Auger-Aliassime's trend of poor results at Indian Wells. Aside from a lone quarterfinal finish in 2023, he has never registered consecutive wins at the venue. Brooksby has advanced to the third round here for the second time. He will aim to match his best result at the venue when he takes on Jack Draper for a spot in the fourth round.
#2. Leylah Fernandez
Leylah Fernandez was hoping for a reversal of fortunes at the BNP Paribas Open after losing in the first round of the previous WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai. She was on track for a win over Jaqueline Cristian after she captured the first set during their second-round showdown.
Fernandez led by a break in the second set but found herself on the backfoot down the line. Nevertheless, she saved multiple set points to force a tie-break, in which she came up short. The Canadian tried her best to overcome a 4-1 deficit in the third set but couldn't do so as Cristian held her nerve for a 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3 win.
While Fernandez gave a good account of herself, this wasn't the result she hoped for. She also lost in the first round of doubles, thus concluding her Indian Wells campaign for this year.
#1. Novak Djokovic
The biggest upset of the day was obviously the loss of 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic. He took on lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round and was the favorite to win the contest as well. However, he had a tough time adapting to the conditions and ultimately lost the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
Djokovic's season has taken a turn for the worse since reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open. An injury forced him to retire from his semifinal bout against Alexander Zverev after losing the first set. He returned to action at the Qatar Open and was sent packing by Matteo Berrettini in the first round.
It remains to be seen whether or not Djokovic will take part in the Miami Open. He hasn't competed in the second leg of the "Sunshine Double" since 2019. If he skips the tournament yet again, then the Monte-Carlo Masters is likely to be his next tournament, based on his past schedule.
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