Join Blake Krass as he shares his top picks and predictions for the opening day of competition at the 2026 Indian Wells Open.
The Indian Wells Open stands out as one of the premier events on the annual tennis calendar. The initial Round of 128 is set to commence on Wednesday, March 4, and will conclude on Thursday, March 5.
Below are my prime betting opportunities for the Indian Wells Open, focusing on the Round of 128, available on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Top Picks for the 2026 Indian Wells Open
Ethan Quinn vs. Reilly Opelka: Quinn Moneyline (-140)
Ethan Quinn represents a promising talent in the tennis world. Currently ranked No. 73 in the latest ATP standings, he is still only 21 years old. Quinn opted for collegiate tennis at the University of Georgia instead of turning pro directly after high school. His professional career began in earnest in 2024, and he truly started finding his rhythm at this level in 2025. Last year, Quinn reached the third round at Roland Garros, secured a victory at Wimbledon, and qualified for the main draw of seven ATP 1000 tournaments. However, his breakthrough came at this year’s Australian Open, where he demonstrated significant potential by upsetting Tallon Griekspoor in the first round and Hubert Hurkacz in the second.
Last year, Ethan Quinn had to navigate two qualifying matches to earn his spot in the Indian Wells main draw. This year, he enters directly and is slated to face fellow American Reilly Opelka for the first time. Opelka appears to be in the twilight of his career, having had a lackluster start to the 2026 season. His ATP ranking has fallen to No. 68, a considerable drop from his peak of No. 17. Quinn is the clear favorite in this matchup. He is a young player on an upward trajectory, brimming with confidence, while Opelka’s career seems to be waning. Quinn should seize this excellent opportunity to secure a win at Indian Wells and deliver his peak performance.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Denis Shapovalov: Shapovalov Moneyline (+110)
This promises to be an intriguing contest between World No. 39 Denis Shapovalov and World No. 43 Stefanos Tsitsipas. Tsitsipas, once ranked as high as No. 3 globally and a major finalist in 2023, has seen a considerable dip in his form over the past two years. In his last seven Grand Slam appearances, Tsitsipas has failed to advance beyond the second round. So far this year, he suffered a first-round exit in Dubai, was unexpectedly defeated in Rotterdam, lost his opening match in Adelaide, and was upset in the Australian Open second round by the No. 89-ranked player, Aleksandar Vukic. It has become increasingly difficult to trust Tsitsipas to perform consistently against any reasonably strong opponent.
My money is on Denis Shapovalov in this encounter. While his peak days may also be behind him, Shapovalov has shown slightly more flashes of brilliance in recent months. At the Dallas Open in February, he triumphed over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina en route to the semifinals. In that semifinal, he put up a commendable fight, pushing eventual champion Ben Shelton to a third-set tiebreaker. Shapovalov also holds a 4-2 career head-to-head advantage against Tsitsipas, including a victory in their most recent meeting. Shapovalov’s game appears more reliable heading into Indian Wells, making him a favorable underdog pick.
Ajla Tomljanovic vs. Elena-Gabriela Ruse: Ruse Moneyline (-134)
Ajla Tomljanovic, who once reached No. 32 in the WTA rankings, has experienced a significant decline, falling to World No. 85. After making three major quarterfinals across 2021 and 2022, she has not progressed beyond the second round since. She has struggled to gain momentum this year, succumbing to upsets by lower-ranked players in several tournaments leading up to Indian Wells. In this tournament last year, she retired with an injury after losing the first set of her Round of 128 match. At this juncture of her career, it’s challenging to envision Tomljanovic defeating any serious contender in a major event.
The 2026 Australian Open provides recent evidence why Elena-Gabriela Ruse is the preferred player in this match. Ruse and Tomljanovic met in the second round just six weeks ago, where Ruse secured a straight-sets victory. Ruse had previously caused an upset by defeating Dayana Yastremska in the opening round before overcoming Tomljanovic. She ultimately fell to World No. 8 Mirra Andreeva. While Ruse is not considered a top-tier player, her current form and consistency are notably superior to Tomljanovic’s. With such recent and clear evidence of who the better player is, I confidently back Elena-Gabriela Ruse to defeat Ajla Tomljanovic once again at Indian Wells.