Indian Wells 2026 Day 6 Recap - The Player Lounge

Day 6 concluded the round of 32 and saw the favorites pushed, big names wobble and a couple of results that produced surprise names in the second week.

Carlos Alcaraz dropped his first set of the tournament and had to dig deep to turn a feisty Arthur Rinderknech, while Novak Djokovic scraped through a three-setter that swung from controlled to chaotic and back again.

The shocks came too; Rinky Hijikata took home a first top 10 win by outplaying Alexander Bublik, Cameron Norrie rekindled his Indian Wells form to take out Alex de Minaur, and Alex Michelsen produced a home upset by beating Taylor Fritz.

With Jack Draper and Daniil Medvedev moving smoothly and Alcaraz setting up Ruud, the Round of 16 is now stacked.

Here’s the full recap of Day 6, key matches and the Day 7 lineup.

Day Six 2026 BNP Paribas Open Round of 32 Results

Winner	Loser	Do
(1) Carlos Alcaraz	(26) Arthur Rinderknech	6-7(6), 6-3, 6-2
(13) Casper Ruud	(24) Valentin Vacherot	3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Rinky Hijikata (Q)	(10) Alexander Bublik	6-7(3), 7-6(3), 6-3
(27) Cameron Norrie	(6) Alex de Minaur	6-4, 6-4
(3) Novak Djokovic	Aleksandar Kovacevic	6-4, 1-6, 6-4
(14) Jack Draper	(19) Francisco Cerundolo	6-1, 7-5
(11) Daniel Medvedev	Sebastian Baez	6-4, 6-0
Alex Michelsen	(7) Taylor Fritz	6-4, 7-6(6)

Key matches

(1) Carlos Alcaraz def. (26) Arthur Rinderknech 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-2

Alcaraz faced his toughest test yet but delivered a classic comeback. He trailed by a set and an early break in the second after Rinderknech’s aggressive serving and baseline play dominated early.

Alcaraz almost stole the first set, fighting back from 2-5 down to reach set point at 6-5, but mishandled a forehand. Rinderknech won the tiebreak and broke to start set two.

“I got in trouble… but I accepted it, kept going, stayed strong… started playing more steady and waited for my chances.”

He broke four times over the final two sets and overwhelmed Rinderknech after finding his rhythm. A minor ankle injury early in set two caused brief concern, but Alcaraz moved freely in the third and came through one of the games he struggles with.

Next: vs Casper Ruud (5-1 H2H lead).

Rinky Hijikata (Q) def. (10) Alexander Bublik 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 6-3

The Australian qualifier caused a major upset, claiming his first top 10 win and reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 fourth round.

Hijikata rallied after losing the first tiebreak, won the second in another breaker before dominating the third.

The match lasted over 2.5 hours, with Hijikata’s solid play and composure shining against Bublik’s flair (including his trademark racket grip).

Next: vs. Cameron Norrie.

(27) Cameron Norrie def. (6) Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4

The 2021 Indian Wells champion delivered a clean upset, saving 6 out of 7 break points in 1 hour and 39 minutes. Norrie improved to 3-2 H2H vs. de Minaur with disciplined rebounding and baseline control. Norrie likes Indian Wells and De Minaur’s form has dropped off in recent weeks so it’s not a huge surprise as Norrie’s style of play is super consistent.

(3) Novak Djokovic def. Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4

Djokovic came through a tricky meeting with Serbian-speaking and long-time admirer Kovacevic.

Djokovic won the first set but dropped in the second (winning only one match as he struggled with an arm problem). In the decider, he steadied himself despite clutching his ankle after a long point early, regaining range in the desert.

After the game: “Winning ugly… that’s what counts.” Djokovic praised Kovacevic’s performance, noting his own 34-1 record in matches after winning the opener. At 38, he became the second oldest to reach the Masters 1000 R16 since 1990 (after Karlovic at 40 in 2019 IW).

Next up: against defending champion Jack Draper.

Other notable matches

(13) Casper Ruud def. (24) Valentin Vacherot 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Ruud overcame a slow start against the unseeded Vacherot, dropping the opener before steadying his baseline play and consistency.
(14) Jack Draper def. (19) Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5. The defending champion advanced convincingly, dominating early and holding firm in the second set for a solid straight sets win.
(11) Daniil Medvedev def. Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-0. Medvedev dominated the evening session at Stadium 2 to reach 15 wins in 2026 and he is six matches away from his Dubai title. He overpowered Baez after a competitive first set.
Alex Michelsen def. (7) Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6(6). A huge upset home crowd: The 21-year-old American beat the 2022 champion and No. 7 in 1 hour 39 minutes. Michelsen saved 7 out of 8 break points, won 73% of first-serve points (40/55) and held steady after dropping serve when serving out the match. In the tiebreak, he saved a set point at 5-6 before hitting.