Tunnel fits are now a thing in tennis too Could the 2026 Indian Wells edition be a turning point for the sport?

Regardless of the winner, whether Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, we will remember the 2026 edition of Indian Wells as the moment when tunnel fits officially arrived in tennis. In hindsight, it almost feels inevitable. Tennis’ popularity has been growing year after year, attracting an increasing number of fashion and luxury brands. Until now, the spotlight had largely been on the court — from match kits to small details displayed during press conferences or post-match interviews — but players are now being encouraged to showcase a more refined and elegant aesthetic even off the court, echoing what we already see in the NBA, the NFL, and in football.

The setting certainly helps. Indian Wells is one of the most beloved Masters 1000 tournaments among players, an important stop that sits perfectly between the Australian Open and the start of the clay season. The atmosphere is still relaxed, almost like the first day back at school. And so the ATP took the opportunity to create a runway moment: as players arrived at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden they ditched the usual tracksuits with their all-areas pass dangling around their necks, opting instead for more considered looks — from the pink bandana worn by Zizou Bergs as a tribute to André Agassi, to the cream denim jacket sported by Andrey Rublev, from the linen jacket paired with a pearl necklace worn by Frances Tiafoe to the effortless country-club aesthetic embraced by Alexander Zverev.

It is still too early to say whether this was a one-off moment or the beginning of a new trend that could soon appear in more formal settings such as Roland Garros or Wimbledon. What is not surprising, however, is that this development emerged in the United States, where sport has always gone hand in hand with spectacle. Every moment must be made for television — or for social media. It has to matter, it has to communicate something. We will likely see similar moments throughout the rest of the tournament, and certainly new looks during the Miami Open, the next Masters 1000 scheduled to begin on March 18. Perhaps we will even see players arriving in tailored outfits at Flushing Meadows before stepping onto the court for a match at the next edition of the US Open. And maybe one day, looking back, we will remember the 2026 edition of Indian Wells as the moment when tennis stepped into its formalwear era.