Nadal on preliminary doubles list for Indian Wells Masters

Nowhere on the entire ATP World Tour is the doubles draw annually more intriguing than at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. In addition to the traditional doubles specialists, singles players–even the very top guys–often sign up for doubles in the desert.

“I thought it would be a nice way to get started into the tournament,” Roger Federer explained in 2014 when asked about his Indian Wells partnership with fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka. “I do quite enjoy [playing doubles] still. And yeah, maybe Davis Cup’s a bit on the back of our minds. But for me, it’s more I enjoy playing with him and I enjoy playing the doubles at Indian Wells.”

The Davis Cup factor or not, this year’s Indian Wells doubles draw is already guaranteed to provide plenty of intrigue. With wild cards and on-site signups yet to be announced, 22 of the 32 teams have been revealed.

Standard doubles powerhouses, of course, are on the list. Among them are Bob and Mike Bryan, Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo, Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, and Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares, just to name a few.

Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini, who are obviously singles players by trade, made a surprise run to the Australian Open title and will team up again in Indian Wells. Jack Sock and Vasek Pospisil, also singles players, won Wimbledon in 2014 and are partnering each other once more next week (if Sock is healthy enough to play).

There will be no Federer-Wawrinka duo this time around. Wawrinka is playing with Lukasz Kubot. Other pairings featuring singles stars are Rafael Nadal and Pablo Carreno Busta, Grigor Dimitrov and Mardy Fish, and David Goffin and Roberto Bautista Agut. John Isner and Sam Querrey, who were semifinalists in 2014, are currently No. 1 on the alternate list ahead of Richard Gasquet and Jeremy Chardy.

Nadal is a two-time Indian Wells doubles champion, having prevailed each time with Marc Lopez. The world No. 3 is 13-1 in his last 14 doubles matches at this event. Nadal is 5-1 in doubles this season (all matches with Juan Monaco), including a title in Doha.

Carreno Busta reached three consecutive ATP doubles quarterfinals–including two semis–with Guillermo Garcia-Lopez starting last fall in Valencia.

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