There are no days off for players in the top half of the BNP Paribas Open draw in between the fourth round and the quarterfinals.
That is the worst possible timing for Jack Draper.
Up until now, everyone has been playing every other day in Indian Wells. Following his two-hour and 35-minute thriller against Novak Djokovic on Wednesday night, however, Draper will get no rest before facing Daniil Medvedev on Thursday evening.
It’s a quick turnaround on the heels of a grueling battle in which the 14th-ranked Brit outlasted the 38-year-old Serb 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5). And it’s an especially tough test for an oft-injured player who missed the end of last season and the start of this one due to arm trouble.
As if that isn’t enough, Medvedev is probably the last guy anyone in Draper’s situation would want to face. After all, nobody is better than the 29-year-old Russian at returning serve from a million meters behind the baseline and getting ball after ball back in play. It’s a nightmare matchup for most players — and especially for those who may be short on energy.
Moreover, Medvedev is in awesome form right now. The former world No. 1 is 16-3 in 2026 with two titles (Brisbane and Dubai) and Indian Wells wins over Alejandro Tabilo, Sebastian Baez, and Alex Michelsen. All three matches have been complete beatdowns.
Count on a much more rested Medvedev improving to a 2-0 in the head-to-head series against Indian Wells’ defending champion.
Pick: Medvedev in 2