In a major upset at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open, ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina defeated world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in a thrilling three-set quarterfinal match. Svitolina secured the victory with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 scoreline, marking her first return to the Indian Wells semifinals since 2019. The Ukrainian veteran demonstrated incredible resilience, breaking Swiatek’s serve late in the final set to close out the match against the Polish superstar. 

On the other side of the bracket, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominant form by defeating 19-year-old Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko. Sabalenka made history in the match by winning every single point in the first-set tiebreaker before taking the second set 6-4. She is now set to face 14th seed Linda Noskova in the semifinals, as she looks to solidify her position as the tournament favorite. 

In the men's draw, the semifinals have been finalized following dominant performances from the top seeds. Second-seeded Jannik Sinner cruised past young American Learner Tien in just over an hour, while Alexander Zverev defeated Arthur Fils in straight sets. Sinner and Zverev will now face off in a heavyweight clash, with both players aiming to secure their first major title of the 2026 season.