We're talking about practice! Alcaraz, Djokovic, Nadal, Sinner prepare for Indian Wells

The ATP's top players are California dreaming. Defending BNP Paribas Open champion Carlos Alcarz led a crop of stars who were caught practicing in the Golden State this week with the first event of March's Sunshine Double just days away.

After flying to the U.S. together last week, Djokovic and Nadal took two different tacts in their pre-event preparations. World No.1 Djokovic, after watching MLS action between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Inter Miami FC last week, stuck around in Los Angeles to get a workout in on the campus of UCLA.

"A beautiful day to train in LA," Djokovic posted on social media Thursday, along with photos of himself with the school's tennis and football teams.

About three hours away at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the Spanish duo of Alcaraz and Nadal were back on court (separately, lest you were dreaming about any sort of Palm Desert reunion for the countrymen ... yet, anyway).

World No. 2 Alcaraz looked none the worse for wear on course after an ankle injured ended his effort at last week's Rio Open prematurely—in fact, he looked positively giddy in taking a snapshot of his 2023 champion's

Alacaraz and Nadal will be back on court opposite each other in two days' time in an exhibition event in Las Vegas, with the BNP Paribas Open set to be Nadal's first official tournament since January's Brisbane International.

“If he is fit, he wants to play,” his longtime spokesman, Benito Perez-Barbadillo, told *The Athletic*'s Matt Futterman on Monday. “He is a tennis player and wants to play at the biggest tournaments. And he loves Indian Wells.”.

Meanwhile, fans worldwide were impressed by the level that former world No. 2 Tommy Haas, now 45, brought to the court against reigning Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner in a 35-shot rally from their Thursday training session on Stadium 2. Former NBA player and coach Steve Nash, the now-retired former Top 10 player John Isner, and former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker chief among those who sang the German's praises in the tournament's Instagram comments.

"Music to my ears," one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"35 shots continuous," another wrote. "Not too shabby."

Main-draw play in Indian Wells begins on March 6, while the draw for the first of the two Sunshine Double events will be made on March 4.