ROME -- Not so long ago, before the pro tennis tour began to resemble a snake eating its own tail, the tournament calendar fell into discreet segments. The Australian Open in January was followed by the indoor hardcourt season in Europe. Much as players complained of claustrophobia in bleak wintry cities, they consoled themselves that in March the tour would move back outdoors for what some PR maven had dubbed the “Sunshine Double,” a couple of Masters 1000 level events, the first in the desert in Indian Wells, California, the second at the Hardrock Stadium in Miami.

 Currently there continue to be indoor events where spectators sit swaddled in scarves and sweaters watching players in leggings and long-sleeve sweatshirts plod over courts often laid over hockey rinks. But now as they prepare for the Sunshine Double, players can enjoy abundant heat and light in the Persian Gulf, South America and Mexico. What these warm-up tournaments don’t always provide, however, is the top players.

 This year, for instance, after losing in Australia, Novak Djokovic took a two-month holiday. Jannik Sinner, winner of the Australian Open, played and won an event in Rotterdam, then he too went on vacation. Carlos Alcaraz was slated to compete in Rio de Janeiro but had to withdraw with a sprained ankle. Having missed almost all of 2023 because of injuries, Rafael Nadal tried to come back in Brisbane but reinjured his hip and had to resume full-time physiotherapy.

 In 2024 all the top stars were scheduled to play at Indian Wells. Adding to the excitement, Nadal and Alcaraz agreed to participate in a made for TV exhibition match in Las Vegas. Rumor had it that each man was receiving a million dollars. Most exos are little more than hit and giggle entertainments. But flak men in Vegas boasted that this one would be different; it would shine a light on the state of Rafa’s health. It might also answer the question of why Alcaraz had had such uneven results after winning Wimbledon in 2023. Was he injury prone? Hyped as the game’s newest superstar, had he grown impatient with grinding away from the baseline and taken too often to going for quick winners?

 To the surprise of many, Rafa made short work of Alcaraz in Vegas, winning the first set 6-3. In the second, Carlos lifted his game. Or had Rafa lowered his? At times the two men appeared to be enjoying a leisurely exchange of groundstrokes. After Carlos evened the match at a set apiece, they played a ten-point tie-break which Alcaraz narrowly won. Commentators, former champions and multiple tennis stakeholders made it sound like both men had been through a ferocious battle and both had won. Rafa was said to be ready to reclaim his throne at the top of the game. Alcaraz, everybody agreed, was poised to dominate tennis for the decades ahead.

 As if to puncture this windbaggery, Rafa promptly announced his withdrawal from Indian Wells. He maintained he just wasn’t ready to compete in tournaments. Million-dollar exos were more his speed. Cynics suggested he had only traveled to the States for a tidy payday and an opportunity to promote his brand. He returned to Mallorca where he was said to be preparing for the clay court season. Tennis fans welcomed the news with great excitement whereas a grain of salt might have been more appropriate.

 When Indian Wells actually got underway, Carlos Alcaraz seemed not to have benefitted much from the exo in Vegas. Last year he blasted his way to the title without dropping a set. In this year’s first round against Matteo Arnaldi of Italy, he frittered away the opening set 7-6. Although he quickly righted the ship and sailed through the next two sets with the loss of just one game, his lack of concentration appeared contagious. It spread to Novak Djokovic who dropped a set to Aleksandar Vukic and struggled to win in three sets. In a post-match interview, Djokovic acknowledged that he felt tense and rusty after his long layoff.

 By contrast, Sinner easily adapted to the slow, gritty hardcourts at Indian Wells, and routed Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-1. 

 In the next round, Sinner extended his winning streak to 17 straight, bumping off Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4. Heading into the second week of the tournament, the lanky redheaded Italian is scheduled to face hard-serving lefty Ben Shelton.

 That should provide a truer test of Sinner’s prospects for going the distance in the desert and keeping alive his unbeaten record for the year.