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Felix Auger-Aliassime was left bloodied but unbeaten Monday after he caught himself with his racquet during his 7-5, 6-4 victory against Francisco Cerundolo at the BNP Paribas Open.

At 2-0 in the first set, the Canadian accidentally struck himself on the chin when returning the Argentine’s serve. The 22-year-old immediately walked to his chair where he was bandaged up before returning to court to book his spot in the fourth round after two hours and 10 minutes.

Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Pedro Martinez in his opening match, played aggressive, front-foot tennis throughout the clash. He hit through Cerundolo and overcame a late wobble when trying to serve out the match. After failing to hold at 5-2, the eighth seed eventually sealed victory at the second time of asking, converting his fifth match point to improve to 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

Auger-Aliassime is chasing his first ATP Masters 1000 crown and maiden tour-level title of the season this week in California. He is up to No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings following his 10th win of the season.

The four-time tour-level champion has advanced to the quarter-finals at the past five ATP Masters 1000 events he has played and will aim to make it six when he takes on Tommy Paul. The 22-year-old is aiming to jumpstart his season in Indian Wells, after suffering early exits in Adelaide, at the Australian Open and Dubai earlier this year.

After claiming their maiden ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2022, Finland’s Otto Virtanen and Hungarian Fabian Marozsan returned to the winners’ circle this week and are both now at career-high marks in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

Virtanen, 21, claimed the Lugano Challenger while Marozsan won on the clay courts of Antalya, Turkey.

In Switzerland, Virtanen defeated Turkish qualifier Cem Ilkel 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final to collect the Challenger BancaStato Citta Di Lugano and climb to No. 139 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

A two-time Challenger titlist, Virtanen earned his first Challenger title this past October when he advanced through qualifying en route to winning the Bergamo Challenger.

Pickleball is a popular sport that is played on a court with a paddle and a plastic ball. Here are some basic rules for pickleball: Court dimensions: A pickleball court is similar in size to a doubles badminton court, measuring 20 feet wide by 44 feet long.Serving: The serve must be made underhand and must be hit below the server's waist. The ball ...

The premiere of the ATP Challenger Tour 175 category kicks off this week at the Arizona Tennis Classic, where a star-studded field features World No. 23 Matteo Berrettini and Argentine Diego Schwartzman.

All eight seeds in Phoenix are Top-60 players, including Jiri Lehecka, Richard Gasquet, and Alexander Bublik.

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A new innovation for 2023, the Challenger 175 tournaments are held during the second week of the ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Madrid, and Rome. Highly-ranked players who lose early at the Master 1000s can decide to compete at the following week’s Challenger tournament.

Berrettini, Schwartzman, and Gael Monfils were given wild cards into Phoenix after falling in the opening rounds of Indian Wells. The Italian Berrettini is aiming to repeat his success in Phoenix from 2019, when the-then World No. 57 collected the title.

The Miami Open presented by Itau will hold the third edition of its successful ‘MIAMI OPEN UNITES’ campaign on Monday, March 20, 2023. This day of service brings together ATP and WTA players, Miami Open staff, and volunteers to help South Florida’s most vulnerable in various philanthropic initiatives across Miami-Dade County. ATP, WTA, Miami Open and Hologic are thrilled to also be able to show support with a financial contribution to participating organizations.

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10:00 AM - Volunteers will assist Rebuilding Together in rehabilitating the home of Miami-Dade County's veteran, Thomas Coates, retired Air Force E6 Sergeant. The players will paint and landscape, providing much-needed assistance to the organization. For more information on Rebuild Together, go to https://rebuildingtogether.org/ and @RebldgTogthr.

11:00 AM - The Humane Society of Greater Miami will have players and volunteers helping to groom animals, increasing their chances of adoption. The initiative aims to create a better life for the animals that need care and love. For more information the Humane Society of Greater Miami, go to http://www.humanesocietymiami.org/ and @HumaneMiami.

1:00 PM - Players will also help plant seedlings at Health in the Hood's community garden, with all produce grown distributed free-of-charge to families, local food pantries, churches, and community centers. For more information on Health in the Hood, go to www.healthinthehood.org/ and @HealthInThehood.

Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

The 2023 ATP Tour season is just three and a half months old, but Francisco Cerundolo has already hit an important milestone. On 13 February, the 24-year-old leapfrogged Diego Schwartzman to become the highest-ranked Argentine in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time.

A strong start to his main-draw debut at this fortnight's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells means Cerundolo will meet eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Monday for a spot in the last 16. Yet there are some aspects of the World No. 32’s tennis journey that might surprise fans…

Until how recently did he string his own racquets on Tour? How has becoming more well-known helped him (and his friends!) when out on the town in Buenos Aires? Why did he ask his practice partner Fabio Fognini for a selfie? ATPTour.com caught up with the Argentine for the latest edition of our ‘Last Time’ Q & A series.

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The ATP Tour has today announced the awarding of a single-year tournament licence to Tel Aviv for 2023.

The Tel Aviv Watergen Open, an indoor hard-court ATP 250 event, will be staged in the Tel Aviv International Convention Centre from 5-11 November, the same week as the Moselle Open in Metz, France. Qualifying will be played 4-5 November.

View updated 2023 ATP Tour calendar

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It is the second consecutive year that the ATP Tour will visit the Israeli city. Last September, Tel Aviv hosted an ATP Tour event for the first time since 1996. Novak Djokovic, Marin Cilic, Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem all competed at the Tel Aviv Watergen Open, with top-seeded Djokovic taking the title.

After an eventful first five days at the BNP Paribas Open, Monday’s action will narrow the men’s singles field to 16 as the third round draws to a close.

Chasing his 100th tour-level win, Carlos Alcaraz continues his title and World No. 1 quest against Tallon Griekspoor, while 2022 champion Taylor Fritz plays Sebastian Baez. Two popcorn encounters see Holger Rune face Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray take on fellow Briton Jack Draper.

ATPTour.com breaks down some of the key contests on Day 6 at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells.

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Jamie Murray and Michael Venus kept their cool under pressure on Sunday to clinch a quarter-final place at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Murray and Venus delivered a dominant Match Tie-break showing to complete a 3-6, 7-6(3), 10-6 third-round win against Daniel Evans and John Peers. Despite falling behind early against Great Britain’s Evans and Australia’s Peers, Murray and Venus kick-started their charge to victory by winning six of the final seven points in the second-set tie-break on Stadium 6.

The British-New Zealand pairing then charged to a 4/0 lead in the Match Tie-break, one that ultimately proved unassailable as they completed the win in 99 minutes. With the win, Murray and Venus improved their record for 2023 (their first season together) to 10-5. The pair lifted its maiden ATP Tour title as a team in Dallas in early February.

In the quarter-finals, Murray and Venus will attempt to maintain their good form against top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski or Frances Tiafoe and Stan Wawrinka.

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Frenchman Luca Van Assche is soaking in a strong start to the season on the ATP Challenger Tour. At just 18 years old, the #NextGenATP player is doing it all while continuing a normal teenage life: studying university homework and enjoying his passions apart from tennis, such as Formula One Racing, which Van Assche began to follow after watching the Netflix series Drive To Survive.

Should Van Assche someday rise to stardom on the ATP Tour, perhaps he will find himself in the Netflix series Break Point, which premiered in January and features players such as Nick Kyrgios, Matteo Berrettini, and Taylor Fritz. If fans were given a behind-the-scenes look of Van Assche, they would find the teenager stays busy with his various hobbies.

“I listen to a lot of French rap. There are a lot of good rappers in France, like Ninho,” Van Assche said. “I like Paris Saint-Germain, their stadium is near my house. I also love Formula One, since I started watching the Netflix series [Drive To Survive] a few years ago. I follow a bit of rugby too.”

In December, the Brussels-born player had his breakthrough moment, winning his maiden Challenger title in Maia, Portugal during the final week of the season. This past week, Van Assche collected another Challenger crown in dramatic fashion.

Ten years after an 11-year-old Jack Draper watched Andy Murray win the 2013 Wimbledon title from the Centre Court stands, the fast-rising British star will meet his idol-turned-friend for the first time on the ATP Tour Monday at the BNP Paribas Open.

Now 21, Draper has praised the three-time Grand Slam champion from the first time the media's cameras and microphones were trained on him — a routine he is becoming accustomed to as he soars up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, breaking into the Top 40 for the first time earlier this year after reaching the Adelaide semi-finals.

Murray has returned the favour, most recently on Saturday: "I think he's going to be a top, top player for a long time," predicted the Scot, who has proven to have a keen eye for spotting world-class talent. Ahead of the 2022 US Open, where Draper reached the third round for his best Grand Slam result, Murray discussed the 6-foot-4 lefty's well-rounded game, giving particular credit to his return and movement at his size.

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Speaking with ATPTour.com and members of the British press following his 6-4, 6-2 win against countryman Daniel Evans on Saturday in Indian Wells, Draper explained his history with Murray and how their relationship has evolved.

Two streaks ended for Daniil Medvedev on Sunday night at the BNP Paribas Open, but not the one that really mattered. When Ilya Ivashka won the second set against the fifth seed, it ended Medvedev's 18-set winning run and his seven-set streak against the World No. 85.

But the four-time ATP Masters 1000 champion regrouped to secure a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 result, scoring his 16th straight victory to advance to the fourth round, where he will meet Alexander Zverev. His progress to the last 16 matches his best Indian Wells result from 2021.

The matchup against Zverev, the pair's first ATP Head2Head meeting since Zverev's victory in the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, will break a 6-6 tie in the series.

"I think our match could be a lot of rallies. Let's see. It's going to be interesting," Medvedev previewed. "I feel like he's playing better and better, which is normal after a tough injury. He's someone who was one of the best players on Tour, going kind of close to World No. 1, started playing better and better in Grand Slams.

"His injury was unfortunate but I'm sure he's going to come back. Hopefully next match I can be the winner and I can play some good tennis."

Ugo Humbert has proven himself Top-10 kryptonite during his career, but Andrey Rublev faced no such difficulty Sunday.

The World No. 7 eliminated the Frenchman 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open. He will face 2021 champion Cameron Norrie for a place in the quarter-finals.

“Completely different, even if he’s left-handed as well, but he’s different. Cameron reminds me a bit of Medvedev to be honest,” Rublev said in his on-court interview. “He likes to play really low and flat with the backhand. He likes to counter-attack, wait for you to do mistakes, to force you to go for extra shots. So we’ll see. It’s going to be a really tough match and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

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Rublev will take a 2-1 ATP Head2Head lead into his clash with Norrie, as well as confidence from a solid performance against Humbert. The Frenchman, who is now 7-7 against Top 10 opposition, surged to an immediate break advantage.

Tallon Griekspoor knows he faces a great challenge Monday at the BNP Paribas Open, where he will play top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the third round. But it is a test the Dutchman is excited for.

“I really do [like the challenge]. I enjoy those matches, I enjoy the big stadiums. I enjoy the moments of playing these guys,” Griekspoor told ATPTour.com. “I prefer to play on Court 1 rather than Court 7. It’s not always a good sign to play on Court 1, but I like the challenge of playing those guys. I feel like those are the matches that make you better.”

The 26-year-old has played plenty of top-tier opponents this season, from Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas to Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner. Last year at Wimbledon, he lost to Alcaraz in straight sets.

“Wasn’t my best match, I lost in three. I thought that on grass, if you want to beat the guy at some surface, it would have been grass in my eyes. But he played well there, I didn’t play too great,” Griekspoor said. “He’s one of the best players in the world, that’s for sure. He’s so young. He’s injured, he comes back straight away, he plays so well. So it’s going to be really tough, but at the end I really like the challenge of playing him. Why not?”

Griekspoor believes that the sheer quality of Alcaraz’s physical game is daunting, from his power and speed to his drop shot and ability to mix things up with tactics like serving and volleying.

The wave of emotion that Alexander Zverev let out after match point told much of the story of his third-round victory against Emil Ruusuvuori on Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open.

Zverev overcame a second-set lapse and plenty of third-set pressure from his opponent to clinch a 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 triumph at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The 12th seed’s ecstasy at reaching the fourth round for the third time in seven main-draw appearances in Indian Wells was matched by his relief at prevailing in an encounter in which he won seven fewer points than his opponent.

“The last two years, I lost 7-6 in the third, to two Americans,” said Zverev, who fell to Taylor Fritz in 2021 and Tommy Paul in 2022 in California. “I lost a lot of tight three-setters here, and I feel like I just wanted to get out here and get this win.

“I was doing everything I could. I felt like he [Ruusuvuori] was playing better than me starting from the second set, and also throughout the third set, I thought he was outplaying me a lot of the time. So I’m just finding a way and I’m happy to do that today.”

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Olympic gold medalist Michael Andrew, a swimmer from the United States, met with John Isner on Saturday at the BNP Paribas Open. The pair spoke about the intricacies of their sport, with topics ranging from Isner's unforgettable three-day Wimbledon marathon to the importance of recovery from matches.

Andrew, who was part of a world-record-setting 4x100 metre medley relay effort in Tokyo, has become a big tennis fan in recent years. The American spoke to ATPTour.com about meeting Andy Murray in the Olympic Village, his thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz and why John Isner might be a good swimmer.

When did you first start enjoying tennis and who did you watch?
I think the first time for me was three years ago in San Diego. I always loved tennis, I always enjoyed the sport. My dad grew up playing, but I didn’t follow it closely. I got to go to the San Diego Open the first time it was played. I remember watching Andy Murray and Taylor Fritz play and I got to meet Taylor. That kind of started it all.

Then when I was in the Olympic Village I got to meet Andy. I was standing on line getting food and Andy was there. I was like, ‘This is insane!’ I’m around a lot of great athletes, but something about a tennis player and the way that mentally they need to face each shot and reset every point, there’s something special about tennis as a sport. That San Diego Open started it all and then I continued following it very closely.

Cristian Garin made it 10 sets played, 10 sets won at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open on Sunday afternoon. It is the Chilean's latest straight-sets victory that may make the rest of the field sit up and take notice at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells.

The former World No. 17 Garin, who came through two qualifying matches to book a spot in the main draw in Indian Wells, sealed a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory against third seed Casper Ruud to reach the fourth round for the first time at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“With a full stadium, and to play like this today against Casper, who is one of the players that I really admire on Tour, I am so, so happy to keep playing like that,” said Garin. “Aggressive, going to the net, I think that’s the way that I like to play and the only way that I [can] beat these kinds of players. I’m just so happy and I want to keep improving and keep enjoying this tournament.”

Garin qualified without losing a set and then dropped just 10 games across his opening two main-draw matches, and the Chilean showed few nerves when presented with his toughest test yet in California. He outhit the World No. 4 Ruud by 39 winners to 17 to notch his third win against a Top 10 opponent, his first since 2021, and his first on a hard court.

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Since making his tour-level debut in 2020, Carlos Alcaraz has consistently entertained with his all-court game. During his second-round win against Thanasi Kokkinakis at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday, the 19-year-old Spaniard once again brought the fans to their feet, hitting a series of stunning winners to advance.

“I try to make the people enjoy watching tennis, and I think the way that I play, they love it or it seems like that,” said Alcaraz, who received raucous support throughout his 76-minute win. “I felt the love from the people. I think the US Open helped me a lot, to have a lot of people behind me, supporting me. I would say the way that I play, they love to watch.”

The Spaniard reached the semi-finals in Indian Wells last year and knows that a run to his third ATP Masters 1000 title this fortnight in California will lift him back to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The 19-year-old rose to top spot in September after winning the US Open, remaining there for 20 weeks before Novak Djokovic replaced him after capturing the Australian Open crown.

Alcaraz is refusing to look too far ahead, though, with full focus on his upcoming match against Tallon Griekspoor.

“I think that's the most important part of my game, to stay relaxed and go for it and not to think about the mistakes, the points, the rounds,” Alcaraz said. “Just, let's say, live [in] the moment, play the match, and go for it. That's the goal in this tournament for me.”

Third-round action commences on Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open, where Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev continue their title quests at the first ATP Masters 1000 of the season.

The 2021 Indian Wells champion Cameron Norrie, 12th-seeded German Alexander Zverev and 14th-seeded American Frances Tiafoe will also take to court in a packed schedule.

ATPTour.com runs through some of the key third-round matchups on show in California.

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Stan Wawrinka knows he is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but the Swiss is enjoying life as a professional tennis player as much as ever.

The 37-year-old, who turns 38 later this month, is the oldest player in the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Last August the Swiss was outside the Top 300, but he showed great resilience to battle back.

After the 16-time tour-level titlist defeated 26th seed Miomir Kecmanovic on Saturday to reach the third round of the BNP Paribas Open, ATPTour.com caught up with ‘Stan the Man’ about his love for tennis, why he still enjoys the process aged 37, the one match that sticks out from his career and more.

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You can see how much fun you still have with the fans on court and everyone shows how much they love watching you play. How cool is that for you to experience?
Of course it’s always special. That’s one of the main reasons why I keep playing tennis. I enjoy what I’m doing. I’m passionate about it. The emotion that I get from the fans, from the people in each tournament, from the support that I can get in matches, is always going to be special. I want to enjoy that as much as I can because the day that I will stop there will be no return.