Week in preview: Daniil Medvedev, Iga Swiatek & Naomi Osaka to compete at Miami Open; Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic absent
Following the conclusion of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the tennis tour heads to Florida for the Miami Open. It is the second Masters 1000 event and third WTA 1000 tournament of the year, and is set to run from 21 March to 3 April. The qualifying rounds begin on Monday, while the main draw action commences on Tuesday.
There are a few notable absentees from the Miami Open. Rafael Nadal, whose winning streak came to an end in the final of the Indian Wells Masters, won't be taking part. His main rivals, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, are also missing, while Dominic Thiem and Stan Wawrinka remain sidelined.
On the women's side, World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty won't be defending her title at the Miami Open. The Williams sisters aren't competing either, while reigning Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova withdrew because of an injury.
But there will still be plenty of stars ready to put on a show in Miami. Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep and Emma Raducanu headline the women's draw, while Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini, along with rising stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jenson Brooksby, will feature in the men's event.
No clear favorite to win the Miami Open on the men's side
Taylor Fritz defeated Rafael Nadal in the final at Indian Wells for his biggest-ever title, but it remains to be seen if he can continue the momentum in Miami too. Daniil Medvedev's reign as the World No. 1 came to an end after an early loss in the California desert. He'll need to reach the semifinals to return to the top spot.
The biggest win of his career ⚡️
@Taylor_Fritz97 beats Rafa Nadal 6-3, 7-6 at @BNPPARIBASOPEN 🙌 https://t.co/l9WoSt5Mgx
Top-10 players Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Matteo Berrettini and Felix Auger-Aliassime lost before the quarterfinals in Indian Wells and will be gunning to make amends in Miami.
World No. 7 Andrey Rublev was one of the few top-10 players to do well in the California desert. His 13-match winning streak ended in the semifinals against eventual winner Fritz and the Russian will look to get back to winning ways in Miami.
Carlos Alcaraz has continued his rapid ascent to the top of the game. He reached his first Masters 1000 semifinal at Indian Wells and will look to continue his good run of form at the Miami Open as well.
Defending champion Hubert Hurkacz, meanwhile, will need to come up with a flawless performance if he wants to taste glory in Miami again.
The men's draw will be released on Monday.
Iga Swiatek is the heavy favorite to win the Miami Open
The women's draw for the 2022 Miami Open was released recently. The women's field has a clear frontrunner in Iga Swiatek. The Pole won the previous two WTA 1000 events in Qatar and Indian Wells and will aim to win her third big title in a row.
@iga_swiatek defeats Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 at #IndianWells to clinch her second consecutive WTA 1000 title of the season!
IGA GOES BACK-TO-BACK 🏆🏆
🇵🇱 @iga_swiatek defeats Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 at #IndianWells to clinch her second consecutive WTA 1000 title of the season! https://t.co/8gx5nUNkgM
Swiatek defeated Sakkari in straight sets in the California desert to lift her fifth career title. Sakkari is playing some consistent tennis as well, so there's a good chance she'll make a deep run at the Miami Open too.
Paula Badosa and Simona Halep, who made the semifinals at Indian Wells, are also in contention in Miami. Anett Kontaveit and Jelena Ostapenko, who were in great form before their early losses last week, will look to rebound.
Naomi Osaka has been going through a rough patch and the draw hasn't done her any favors. She'll face three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber if she wins her opener. Should the four-time Major winner defeat the German, she's likely to take on Leylah Fernandez in the third round. The Canadian ended Osaka's title defense at the US Open last year.
2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins returns to action after being sidelined by injuries for the last few weeks. 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu could face the in-form Simona Halep in the third round.
The women's first-round matches are set to begin on 22 March.