WATCH: Bizarre scenes as Frances Tiafoe forgets his rackets at Indian Wells, has his coach fetch them while opponent waits

Frances Tiafoe had a bizarre episode ahead of his opening match at the Indian Wells Masters on Saturday as the 16th seed walked onto the court with all his gear, only to later realize that he had forgotten his rackets. The American’s second round match against Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur was delayed by a few minutes as his coach ran to the locker room to retrieve his rackets.

Tiafoe made a winning start at the BNP Paribas Open by sealing a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) win against Dzumhur, but that wasn’t before the hilarious incident. The American, decked in his Lululemon outfit, looked confident as he walked onto the court. He wore his headphones and carried his shoes in hand as he made his way to his side of the court.

He put his kit bag down and was about to hit the court to warm up when he realized that his rackets were missing. A member of his coaching unit ran to the locker room to fetch the rackets while Frances Tiafoe apologized and explained the delay to Dzumhur.

You can watch the video here:

Having claimed a well-earned win in the second round, Tiafoe will aim to make a deep run in the season’s first Masters 1000 tournament. The 27-year-old next faces Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki in the third round on Monday, March 10. Tiafoe will face a stiff challenge as the Japanese battled through two rounds of qualifying and then accounted for former World No. 17 Alexander Bublik and the 19th seed Tomas Machac to reach the third round of the Indian Wells Masters.

Frances Tiafoe looks to make a statement at Indian Wells Masters after a streak of early losses

Frances Tiafoe is ranked 17th in the ATP Rankings. Source: Getty

Frances Tiafoe is a man on a mission as he looks to make a statement at the Indian Wells Masters over the next week. The World number 17 has not had the best of starts to the season and remains in the hunt for his maiden title in 2025.

The most concerning factor is that he has not gone beyond the second round in any of the four tournaments he has played this season ahead of the BNP Paribas Open. His best run over the last few months was when he reached the semifinals of the US Open in September 2024.

The season’s first Masters 1000 tournament is a great opportunity for Frances Tiafoe to make a splash, and he will also be in action in the doubles department alongside his partner, Francisco Cerundolo. The American-Argentine duo are up against the all-American team of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek on Monday, March 10.