The men's event at Indian Wells got underway on Thursday, which means a number of competitors have begun their quest to gobble up the ample points that are on offer at the first Masters 1000 event of 2016.  Granted, it is the lower-ranked players who could most benefit from a deep run in the desert, but that does not mean that the marquee players will not be just as hungry for success. 

Among the top 10, few would argue that Rafael Nadal is the man who needs a good showing at Indian Wells the most.  Currently ranked No. 5, the Spaniard would love to see his ranking rise at least one more notch so that he can start avoiding the likes of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in the quarterfinals of the biggest events.  More importantly than that, however, he needs to reestablish his confidence and momentum before 2016 becomes a nightmare repeat of his 2015 season.  After a a great end to last season and a finalist appearance in Doha to kick off this year, Nadal appeared poised to be ready to vie for the grandest prizes in the sport.  But a stunning first-round loss in Melbourne, coupled with some uncharacteristic defeats on the clay in South America, have him in a mentally precarious position yet again.  The good news for the former No. 1 is that he has traditionally played well at Indian Wells, and he needs to do so now more than ever.

Similar to Nadal, Tomas Berdych is another man who could greatly benefit from making something happen at Indian Wells.  The Czech is a mainstay on the list of the best players to have never won a major, and with his effortless power that makes him a threat to any player on any surface, it is easy to see why.  All that said, Berdych has had a bit of a disappointing last month or so.  He lost in routine fashion to Australian upstart Nick Kyrgios in back-to-back weeks in Marseille and Dubai, and outside of his nation actually winning the tie, he did not have much to write home about last weekend in Davis Cup.  He barely scraped by Alexander Zverev in five sets and had to retire against Philipp Kohlschreiber on the third day.  Suffice it to say, he is not in the most stable place, and if he does not find solid footing soon, there is a danger that his game and results may continue to slide.

For sure, it easy to see where both Nadal and Berdych could do with a good showing in the desert, but two other players to keep an eye on are Djokovic and Murray.  Granted, success at Indian Wells is not nearly as essential to them as it is to most others in the field, particularly in the case of Djokovic, who has such a commanding lead in the rankings.  But after becoming a first-time father, Murray took off the month of February, and there is rust to be dusted off.  It showed last weekend when he blew a two-set lead against Kei Nishikori in what turned out to be the deciding rubber in the tie between Great Britain and Japan.  Murray will be anxious to find his best form, and in light of his history, it is essential that he do so sooner rather than later.  

As for Djokovic, he did something last month in Dubai that he had not done in over a year – lost in a tournament prior to reaching the final.  Yes, the loss had a lot more to do with the infection in both of his eyes than the tennis produced by Feliciano Lopez, but a loss of any kind still halts momentum and deflates that bubble of invincibility.  This past weekend in Davis Cup play did little to help him recover from that stumble either, since he lost in the doubles and had to come from behind to win in five sets against Mikhail Kukushkin on Day 3.  Djokovic will undoubtedly be keen to look invincible in the defense of his title and prove that what happened the last couple of weeks was just a minor hiccup.  

All told, there is plenty at stake as these men and their opposition take to the court in the desert oasis.  It will set the early tone for spring as they look to move on to Miami and eventually the clay courts of Europe.