SUMMARY
- Players from the ATP and WTA tour worked overtime at Indian Wells.
- Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, Maria Sakkari, and Ons Jabeur entertained the fans with a disguise at Indian Wells.
This season, Indian Wells has seen a few tense battles on the court. Fans are expecting nail-biting finishes in the upcoming rounds. But with all the commotion on the court, the event organizers decided to change. They decided it was time for players to get busy working off the court. Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Mari Sakkari, Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur, and Ons Jabeur went undercover for their roles.
The players disguised themselves as employees at Indian Wells. While Rublev took care of security, Medvedev was the cashier, Rune was in charge of the merchandise store, and De Minaur ensured the car parking was perfect. From the WTA tour, Sakkari was in charge of popcorn while Jabeur handed out maps for the fans. The stars had hilarious interactions with confused fans.
We have the best staff ever 😍#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/0OXhEzvnZ5
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 13, 2024
One of the fans even thought Rublev resembled Jannik Sinner, as the Russian could only laugh it off.
Poor ginger twins 😂 https://t.co/lRCgwJz5CL pic.twitter.com/im7ou76l2w
— Emily 🩷 (@TTnewpsie) March 13, 2024
Meanwhile, a fan commented on Rune standing perplexed when asked about hand towels. The fan commented, “Annoying American customer: And the hand towel? Rune: It’s for the hands.” A few fans took pictures of the players as they understood they were undercover.
Annoying American customer: And the hand towel?
Rune: It’s for the hands. https://t.co/tFkwN0lKMn— hoe logic (@SommeEllier) March 13, 2024
maria hyping herself up to the guy who was clueless is so damn funny dhskdlfjdj https://t.co/DJDP64EuYG
— zosia ☆ (@poIandgarros) March 13, 2024
One fan found Sakkar’s comic timing perfect when she told fans to check out her match and defined herself as a good player. The fan said, “maria hyping herself up to the guy who was clueless is so damn funny.” Sakkari even distributed free popcorn to the fans at the end of her shift. Rublev also told fans who caught his disguise that he hated Rublev to put the fans in doubt about his identity.
Maria Sakkari and Daniil Medvedev continue the title chase at Indian Wells
The quarterfinal fixtures have been confirmed as the title race continues at Indian Wells. On the ATP tour, Medvedev has reached the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. He has 15 wins in the event and is chasing his season’s first title. Meanwhile, it was curtains at Indian Wells for Rubev, who exited in the second round in a surprising defeat to Jiri Lehecka.
It was the end of the road for De Minaur, who suffered his seventh defeat at the hands of Alexander Zverev in the fourth round. On the WTA tour, Jabeur recorded an opening-round defeat as her losing streak continued. But it was good news for Sakkari, now a win away from making a hatrick of semifinal appearances at Indian Wells.
The Greek player secured her 450th career victory in the second round while beating Caroline Garcia. Sakkari will face Emma Navarro in the quarterfinals. Navarro had beaten Sakkari in the first meeting at San Diego last season. But this season, Sakkari avenged her defeat in Dubai to level their head-to-head record. The odds favor Sakkari, who looks determined to keep her winning streak intact at Indian Wells.
