Story byWendi OliverosTue, March 3, 2026 at 2:42 AM UTC·3 min readOn March 3, Indian Wells also known as the BNP Paribas Open, kicks off with the Eisenhower Cup exhibition. It is a tiebreak ten single elimination for eight mixed doubles teams. MORE: Aryna Sabalenka introduces new addition to the teamPrior to the situation in Dubai that has kept Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev from leaving the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday and arriving at Indian Wells over the weekend, they were supposed to compete in this fun event. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Original Eight Eisenhower Cup TeamsElena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz reunite after teaming up last year to win the 2025 Eisenhower Cup and played together at the 2025 US Open. Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud reunite after a successful run in the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship. Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev were the Russian powerhouse team. Emma Navarro and Ben Shelton are the US college stars turned tennis pros who won the 2024 Eisenhower Cup. Elena Rybakina, left, and Taylor Fritz hold the trophy after winning the Eisenhower Cup Tie Break Tens during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., March 4, 2025. Emma Navarro and Ben Shelton hold up their trophy after winning the 2024 Eisenhower Cup at the Indian Wells Tennis Garde on March 5, 2024. Jasmine Paolini and Matteo Berrettini are bringing the Italian flair. Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul will have the American fans cheering. Amanda Anisimova and Andrey Rublev would have been fun to watch. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLeylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime are representing Canada. Two new teams with Medvedev and Rublev replacementsAndreeva will play with Alexander Bublik, and Anisimova will compete with California native Learner Tien. The Eisenhower Cup is one of the most fun events in the long tennis year. All of the tiebreak ten matches are played on the same court, and the sixteen players stay on the court, often joking around on the sidelines while staying warm on exercise bikes. MORE: Sloane Stephens reveals Indian Wells kitIt shows off the fun side of the players’ personalities, and fans pack the stadium to see this one-of-a-kind event scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM PT and 10:00 PM ET, airing on the Tennis Channel. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBigger question will be Medvedev and Rublev availability for Indian Wells main drawWhile it is sad that Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev won’t be present on Tuesday night, bigger questions about their safety and ability to travel to Indian Wells remain unanswered. They are reportedly considering a road trip to get out of Dubai in order to board a private jet to get to Turkey and ultimately California. The time change, stress of their recent days’ experiences, and though not as significant in the scheme of things, getting practice time on the courts before possibly playing a first round match are issues they will have to deal with. Medvedev is also supposed to play doubles with Tien which was expected to be a big draw given their recent entertaining clashes against each other and Tien being a hometown favorite. It is unclear if this dream duo will get to play together. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —NFL DRAFT: Iowa football star Gennings Dunker steals show at NFL Combine with viral mulletMLB: Bob Costas makes clear statement on Shohei Ohtani’s MLB GOAT statusMMA: Jon Jones shares major news about UFC White House fight cardENTERTAINMENT: 2026 SAG Actor Awards winners list, ‘Sinners’ & Michael B Jordan win bigSPORTS MEDIA: LSU gymnastics star Kailin Chio surpasses Olympic champ Jordan Chiles VIRAL: Florida Man charged for stealing trading cards with taco seasoning packetsAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe post Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev replaced in Tuesday Indian Wells Eisenhower Cup exhibition appeared first on The Big Lead.