The draw for the Miami Open, presented by Itaú, is here, marking the second part of the Sunshine Double and the fourth WTA 1000 event this year.
The top female tennis players will compete in Southeast Florida at the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team. They’re all vying for one of the most respected and rewarding titles on the tour.
The main tournament starts on Tuesday, March 18. The top 32 seeded players get a bye in the first round and will begin playing in the second round on Thursday and Friday.
Here’s a look at the draw highlights:
First quarter
Top seeds: [1] Aryna Sabalenka, [7] Elena Rybakina, [9] Zheng Qinwen, [14] Danielle Collins
Notable first rounds: Sorana Cirstea vs. Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Varvara Gracheva vs. Alycia Parks
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is aiming for her first Miami Open title after finishing as runner-up at Indian Wells. After a first-round bye, her second match will be against either Viktoriya Tomova or Caty McNally.
In the same quarter, No. 7 seed Elena Rybakina has reached the Miami finals in the last two years, nearly achieving the Sunshine Double in 2023, but was runner-up both times.
If the seedings hold, a Top 10 clash could happen in the Round of 16, with Rybakina potentially facing No. 9 seed and Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen.
This quarter also includes the defending champion, Danielle Collins, who began a 15-match winning streak last year by winning her first WTA 1000 title here. No. 14 seed Collins will play against either Sorana Cirstea or Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second round.
Second quarter
Top seeds: [3] Coco Gauff, [6] Jasmine Paolini, [12] Daria Kasatkina, [16] Beatriz Haddad Maia
Notable first rounds: Petra Kvitova vs. Sofia Kenin, Naomi Osaka vs. qualifier
No. 3 seed Coco Gauff is set to face a Grand Slam champion in the second round, either 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin or two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
Gauff’s record against Kenin is 2-2. Her first-round defeat to Kenin at Wimbledon in 2023 motivated Gauff to a successful summer, culminating in her US Open victory. Gauff also defeated Kenin in the first round of this year’s Australian Open, avenging that loss.
Kvitova will be playing in her third tournament since returning from maternity leave. Kvitova, who won the Miami title in 2023 against Rybakina, is looking for her first win after losses in Austin and Indian Wells.
Naomi Osaka, the 2022 Miami runner-up, will play a qualifier in her first match and could face No. 24 seed Liudmila Samsonova in the second round if she wins.
Third quarter
Top seeds: [4] Jessica Pegula, [8] Emma Navarro, [11] Mirra Andreeva, [13] Diana Shnaider, [17] Amanda Anisimova
Notable first rounds: Sayaka Ishii vs. Emma Raducanu, McCartney Kessler vs. Marie Bouzkova
Four American players are in the Top 10 of the WTA Singles Rankings, and two of them, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, are at the top of this quarter.
However, attention will be on 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, winner of the last two WTA 1000 titles (Dubai and Indian Wells), who is aiming for a third consecutive title and the Sunshine Double. She could be the youngest player to achieve the Sunshine Double in the same year.
The two WTA 1000 champions from the Middle East Swing, Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova (Doha), might face each other in a blockbuster third round if they both win their first matches.
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu is also in this section and will play against Japanese teenage wild card Sayaka Ishii in the first round. The winner will then face Navarro in the second round.
Fourth quarter
Top seeds: [2] Iga Swiatek, [5] Madison Keys, [10] Paula Badosa, [15] Karolina Muchova, [20] Clara Tauson
Notable first rounds: Anhelina Kalinina vs. Victoria Azarenka, Dayana Yastremska vs. Belinda Bencic
This quarter is also packed, featuring two Top 5 seeds, Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys, both semifinalists at the recent BNP Paribas Open.
Swiatek, who achieved the Sunshine Double here in 2022, might face former Top 5 player Caroline Garcia in the second round for the second tournament in a row. Swiatek defeated Garcia 6-2, 6-0 in the second round at Indian Wells.
Victoria Azarenka (2016), the only other active player to have completed the Sunshine Double, is also in this quarter. A three-time Miami champion, Azarenka will play Anhelina Kalinina in the first round and could face No. 15 seed Karolina Muchova in the second round.
Belinda Bencic, another mom returning to the tour, will aim to continue her comeback success when she plays Dayana Yastremska in the first round. The winner of this match will face another player known for a strong return after maternity leave: No. 22 seed Elina Svitolina.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth