The first three rounds of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells are almost in the books. There were not many upsets, but a handful of matches stood out. Below are the five most surprising upsets from the first three rounds of Indian Wells.
Camila Osorio upsets Iva Jovic
Anyone who has watched Camila Osorio this year knows she has leveled up in 2026, with a Philippines Open title and fourth-round run at the Qatar Open. But the 18-seed Iva Jovic faces higher expectations after her breakout season last year. Osorio upset Jovic in three sets 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Osorio lost to Naomi Osaka in the following round, while Jovic prepares for the Miami Open.
Sonay Kartal upsets Emma Navarro
Emma Navarro’s season just went from bad to worse. Navarro entered Indian Wells with a first round bye, thanks to her 20-seed. However, that did not save her from a hard-fought loss in the second round against Sonay Kartal. Karatal won in three sets: 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2). Kartal faces Madison Keys in the third round, while Navarro will return to the drawing board. She is scheduled to compete in the WTA Austin 125K this week.
Antonia Ruzic upsets Qinwen Zheng
Antonia Ruzic is heating up as we enter spring; she made it to the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Now, she has upset the 24-seed Qinwen Zheng in the second round: 6-4, 7-5. Ruzic lost to Karolina Muchova the following round, but had a strong showing. Meanwhile, our concerns about Zheng’s elbow are not going anywhere. Zheng falls to 2-2 on the season.
Cam Norrie upsets Alex de Minaur
At 30 years, ATP world no. 29 Cameron Norrie is far from an upstart player. However, Norrie still pulled off a shocking upset against the sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur in the third round with a straight-sets victory: 6-4, 6-4. Norrie will face the winner of Alexander Bublik and Rinky Hijikata in the fourth round.
Joao Fonseca upsets Tommy Paul
It feels like tennis fans have been impatiently waiting for Joao Fonseca to live up to the unfair nickname of “Baby Federer.” Fonseca is yet to scratch the surface of his true potential, but upsetting 23-seed Tommy Paul in the third round was a big step in the right direction. Fonseca defeated Paul in straight sets: 6-2, 6-3. Fonseca faces the second-seeded Jannik Sinner in the fourth round.
The 2026 BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells runs through March 15. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated’s Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.
