German tennis legend Boris Becker has made a major prediction regarding players like Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz, among others, ahead of the Sunshine Double, which includes the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open.
Becker said he anticipates big changes in the top 10 ATP singles rankings following the conclusion of both tournaments.
Boris Becker Makes Ranking Changes Claim Involving Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz
The 2026 Indian Wells Masters is scheduled to take place from March 4 to March 15, 2026, with the main draw matches being held on the outdoor hard courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Meanwhile, the 2026 Miami Open is set for March 18 to March 29, 2026, with matches to be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Before the start of the Sunshine Double, Becker took to social media to highlight that there is only a 500-point difference between ATP players ranked from World No. 4 to World No. 9. These players include Alexander Zverev (4,555 points), Lorenzo Musetti (4,405), Alex de Minaur (4,235), Fritz (4,220), Félix Auger-Aliassime (4,080), and Shelton (4,050).
The six-time Grand Slam singles champion stated that he is expecting substantial ranking “movements” among players ranked between World No. 4 and World No. 9 after the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open.
“500 points between 4-9 ….there will be movements after the sunshine swing !” Becker posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
In addition to Shelton and Fritz, players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Musetti, Auger-Aliassime, and De Minaur are also expected to compete at the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open.
In 2025, Shelton reached the quarterfinals at the Indian Wells Masters before losing to eventual champion Jack Draper. Meanwhile, Fritz was eliminated in the fourth round by Draper. It is worth noting that the former World No. 4 won the ATP Masters 1000 title in California in 2022, defeating Rafael Nadal in the final.
Last year at the Miami Open, Fritz reached the semifinals but lost to eventual champion Jakub MenÅ¡Ãk, while Shelton was eliminated in the second round by Coleman Wong.
Most recently, Shelton competed at the 2026 Dallas Open, where he defeated Gabriel Diallo, Adrian Mannarino, Miomir Kecmanović, and defending champion Denis Shapovalov to reach the final. There, he overcame Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, winning the tournament and claiming the fourth ATP Tour title of his career, and his first title of the season.
On the other hand, Fritz last competed at the 2026 Delray Beach Open, where he was the top seed. He began his campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye, defeating Rafael Jódar in his opening match before losing to eventual runner-up Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.
