
Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev, both current Top 10 players in the PIF ATP Rankings, are among those this year continuing the strong tradition of singles stars pulling double duty at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
The doubles draw for the opening ATP Masters 1000 of the season was made on Thursday in California, where Zverev and his partner Marcelo Melo were handed a tough opening-round test against second seeds Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.
The winner of that match could take on two players also more recognised for their achievements in singles, Flavio Cobolli and Lorenzo Musetti, who take on Sander Gille and Jan Zielinski in their first-round match. Grigor Dimitrov will also compete, alongside Luciano Darderi, and the duo meets Doha champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool first up.
In the top half of the draw, top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic will begin their campaign against Sebastian Baez and Tomas Martin Etcheverry. The wild card pair of Karen Khachanov and Rublev are potential quarter-final opponents for the 2024 Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF pair of Arevalo and Pavic.
Jack Draper/Tomas Machac, Matteo Berrettini/Lorenzo Sonego and Arthur Fils/Ugo Humbert are among the other singles stars in doubles action, while the Americans in the draw seeking to channel home support include Alex Michelsen/Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe (who partners Francisco Cerundolo) and Sebastian Korda, who reunites with Jordan Thompson for just the second time since their Mutua Madrid Open victory last year.
Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, who are second in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings behind Heliovaara and Patten, begin their tournament against Matthew Ebden and John Peers. Meanwhile the in-form Christian Harrison and Evan King, who lifted ATP 500 titles in Dallas and Acapulco across February and early March, start against Fils and Humbert.