Sinner, Sabalenka and Gauff Open Strong as Seeds Set Desert Stakes
Seeded players and early-round spectators face immediate drama: many top seeds must build momentum now, and sinner Jannik Sinner is among the names in action Friday at 10: 00 a. m. ET, when seeds take the court for second-round matches in the California desert.
Sinner and Sabalenka deliver dominant starts for Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka
Fans and draw watchers will see Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka among the marquee seeds whose early victories shape the tournament path; the schedule lists Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka as headline names playing on Friday. Still, the presence of top seeds like Sinner alongside other big names means early match results could set momentum for later rounds.
Gael Monfils’ potential final match draws eyes on Stadium 3 for Gael Monfils and Felix Auger-Aliassime
Another focal point is Gael Monfils, the 39-year-old Frenchman, who faces Felix Auger-Aliassime on Stadium 3 in what has been called a potentially final match; that pairing adds veteran intrigue to Friday’s slate. That match sits alongside second-round meetings featuring other seeded players, giving Stadium 3 a highlighted spot in the day’s schedule.
Alexandra Eala, Iva Jovic and other seeded debuts populate Stadiums 5 and 6 with Alexandra Eala, Iva Jovic and Victoria Mboko
Friday’s schedule also includes seeded debuts and returns: Alexandra Eala will make her debut as a seeded player against Dayana Yastremska, and 18-year-old Iva Jovic returns to Southern California to play Camila Osorio; both matches expand the list of named seeds and rising players on show. On Stadium 5, Arthur Fils appears among the marquee names, while Stadium 6 will host Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Mboko against Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai, adding depth across multiple courts.
Alongside the men’s and women’s matches, the entry list published for the day features Ben Shelton, Victoria Mboko and Amanda Anisimova among the seeds in action, and top women’s seed matchups include Siniakova and Townsend playing against Emma Raducanu and Ruse, widening the stakes for seeded progress in the early tournament phase.
For now, the second-round day is stacked with name matchups across multiple stadiums, and each match delivers a concrete effect on the draw: a seeded loss reshuffles expected paths, while a seeded win preserves projected seed-based matchups later in the event.
If seeds advance from Friday’s second-round matches, they move into the tournament’s next stage; if a seeded player loses on Friday, the draw will change accordingly and those shifts will be reflected in subsequent match scheduling.
