One of the third-round matches at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open will feature 14th-seeded and defending champion Jack Draper taking on the 17th-seeded Francisco Cerúndolo. Draper began his title defense with a first-round bye, following which he started his campaign with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round. Cerúndolo got a first-round bye as well due to his seeding, after which he won 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (5) against French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi.
Jack Draper vs Francisco Cerúndolo: Match Details for Indian Wells Third Round
Date: March 9, 2026
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open 2026
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, USA
Surface: Outdoor hard
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, Sky Sports, TSN, TVA
Draper vs Cerúndolo Head-to-Head
Cerúndolo has won both his matches against Draper, leading the head-to-head 2-0. The first time they played was at the 2023 Lyon Open, where the Argentine won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Thier last meeting was at the 2024 Davis Cup, where Cerúndolo won 7-6 (4), 7-5.
Draper returned after a long injury layoff, playing for the British Davis Cup team and winning his only singles match against Norway’s Viktor Durasovic. He made his Tour-level comeback at the Qatar Open, where he won his first-round match against Quentin Halys, but lost to Arthur Rinderknech in a tough three-set battle in the second round.
Cerúndolo, on the other hand, started his season with a decent fourth round at the Australian Open, where he lost to Alexander Zverev. He had a brilliant run on the South American clay courts, winning his home event, the Argentina Open, and reaching the semifinals at the Chile Open, where he lost to Yannick Hanfmann.
Draper vs Cerúndolo Prediction
Draper was dominant on serve in his previous round, winning 88% of his first-serve points, while also maintaining a 57% win rate behind his second serve. He did well under pressure, saving 6 of the 7 break points he faced while converting 3 of the 7 break point opportunities. He hit 35 winners, which was 44% of the total points he won.
Cerúndolo won 73% of his first serve points in his previous match, but his second serve was a bit vulnerable, as the Argentinian player won 47% of the second serve points. He was broken four times in the match, but he was able to break his opponent’s serve four times as well, while hitting 51 winners in the match.
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The upcoming match could be a slugfest, with both players going after their shots full throttle. For Cerúndolo, he needs to keep a high first-serve percentage while using net play on returns. On the other hand, fitness remains an issue for Draper, but on the court, his serve will be the key. Even though Cerúndolo has the head-to-head advantage, it will be Draper who is the marginal favorite in the upcoming match, as he is the better hard-court player and the defending champion, which has been factored in the PFSN Simulator, giving the Brit a 55% win probability.
Pick- Draper to win in three sets
