Perhaps Tuesday night was a preview of things to come over the next 10 days for Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina.
The two shared a $200,000 prize pool Tuesday by repeating as Eisenhower Cup champions in a nearly full Stadium 2 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The annual charity event was a Tiebreak Tens mixed doubles exhibition, with ticket sales going to local charities. The prize money came from the BNP Paribas Open and not from ticket sales.
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Fritz, an American, and Rybakina, a Kazakh of Russian origin, beat Americans Learner Tien and Amanda Anisimova, 20-7, in the final. Tien, 20, made his Eisenhower Cup debut, replacing Andrey Rublev, who was stranded in Dubai due to travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran.
Fritz has now won the event three times.
Fritz and Rybakina have each won the BNP Paribas Open, although it has been a few years each. Fritz won it in 2022 and Rybakina won it in 2023.
Taylor Fritz practices during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Monday, March 2, 2026.
Fritz is seventh in the world and Rybakina, third, won a title at the Australian Open in January, before losing in the quarter-finals in Doha and then in the round of 16 in Dubai.
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Both could be considered among the favorites to win the 2026 BNP Paribas Open, although Fritz must navigate a tough quarter draw that includes 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, defending champion Jack Draper and Indian Wells semi-final regular Daniil Medvedev.
Perhaps Tuesday’s result will give Fritz and Rybakina some momentum heading into the draw.
This article was originally published on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina become Eisenhower Cup champions again
