Indian Wells 2025 Day 4 Recap

Day four at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open featured two big upsets and the successful commencement of Carlos Alcaraz’s title defence.

Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion, and he started his campaign with a routine 6-4 6-2 win over Quentin Halys.

One man he won’t have to worry about facing in the latter rounds is Novak Djokovic, as he crashed out to lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp in three sets. Novak is now on a three-match-losing streak and is yet to get going again after his injury at the Australian Open. 

Seventh seed Andrey Rublev also crashed out to Matteo Arnaldi, while Auger-Aliassime and Seb Korda were the other seeded players who fell at the first hurdle.

2022 champ Taylor Fritz started strongly, as did Ben Shelton, Jack Draper, Alex de Minaur and Grigor Dimitrov.

Day Four 2025 BNP Paribas Open Round of 64 Results

Winner
Loser
Scoreline

Matteo Arnaldi
Andrey Rublev (7)
6-4 7-5

Brandon Nakashima (32)
Rinky Hijiata
7-5 6-1

Karen Khachanov (22)
Jakub Mensik
3-6 6-0 6-3

Ben Shelton (11)
Mario Navone
6-3 6-2

Jack Draper (13)
Joao Fonseca (WC)
6-4 6-0

Jenson Brooksby (PR)
Felix Auger-Aliassime (17)
6-4 6-2

Alejandro Tabilo (30)
Dusan Lajovic
6-3 7-5

Taylor Fritz (3)
Matteo Gigante (Q)
6-3 7-5

Botic van de Zandschulp (LL)
Novak Djokovic (6)
6-2 3-6 6-1

Francisco Cerundolo (25)
Mackenzie McDonald (WC)
4-6 7-6(1) 6-1

Hubert Hurkacz (21)
Hugo Gaston (Q)
7-5 6-3

Alex de Minaur (9)
David Goffin
6-2 6-2

Grigor Dimitrov (14)
Nuno Borges
6-3 6-4

Gael Monfils
Sebastian Korda (24)
7-6(2) 7-6(4)

Denis Shapovalov (27)
Adam Walton (Q)
6-3 6-2

Carlos Alcaraz (2)
Quentin Halys
6-4 6-2

Van de Zandschulp Downs Djokovic

Botic van de Zandschulp pulled off another upset on Saturday, taking down five-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.

The Dutch lucky loser capitalised on a shaky start from Djokovic before raising his level in the decider to seal the two-hour, one-minute victory. I thought he played decently; he had plenty of time on the ball and took his chances.

Botic has been a bit of an enigma lately; one minute, he was close to retirement, then he pulled off impressive wins against Alcaraz, Nadal, and now Djokovic, and seemingly had the desire back. Still, he’s failed to make the last eight at any ATP event in two years (Dubai 2023 was his previous), so apart from the occasion’s big win, he’s not made much of an impression.

Djokovic is now on a 3-match losing streak, and he’s not looking too sharp out there. There are a few moments where he seems to be able to raise his level, but sustaining it is the problem, and he looks vulnerable to whoever he plays. The three remaining Grand Slams will be his benchmark, but I don’t think you can win Slams without at least some form at the ATP level.

Interestingly, he said post-match that Stadium 1 Court plays utterly different to any other, and the ball is bouncing higher than most clay courts.

I think I kept my cool during the whole match. The second set was very tough, he gained a big lead. But I think I did well turning it to 5-3 to get the momentum back a little bit. I think I started well, surviving one or two games in the third set, and then broke and turned it around. I know if I go into the match and lose my cool, especially against the big players, it’s going to be a really tough day. That’s always one thing I’m trying to do well. Botic on his win over Novak.

Alcaraz Aces Halys to Start Title Defence

Carlos Alcaraz thrives in the desert and started his BNP Paribas Open campaign strongly, easing past Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-2 to extend his Indian Wells win streak to 13 matches. 

I thought Halys started pretty well, as he can clock 130mph serves and go big on the forehand. Alcaraz was a bit ropey, but once he settled, he began to work the points and took complete control.

As Djokovic noted in the press conference, the ball bounces super high on Stadium 1, and I think Alcaraz loves it when he gets more time on the ball, yet it’s still quick through the air. 

Alcaraz is more about carving out points and mixing them up with his drop shot, so I think if you had to tailor-make a court for him, the Tennis Gardens would be the blueprint.

That’s also why his record on quicker hard courts isn’t so stellar. Unlike Federer, who grew up playing on all sorts of indoor carpet surfaces during winter and needed quick hands to redirect the ball, Alcaraz never really had that as a junior. I think it’s easier to adapt from fast courts to slower ones rather than the other way around, especially when you are a fully fledged pro with all that muscle memory.

I was really nervous, it wasn’t easy to control the emotions. I had to be focused to calm down, to take control of the nerves and try and play good tennis. I think it did pretty well. I’m really happy to get through and start the title defence. It’s slow, the ball bounces a lot, the conditions are pretty good for me. I just love playing here. I feel at home, really calm off the court. The fans have always been good to me, so I just appreciate that love and support. Everything here suits me and my game. Alcaraz on his 13 straight win in Indian Wells.

Other Matches of Note

Highlights

Indian Wells 2025 Day 5 Round of 32 Matches

Who has impressed you most so far in Indian Wells?