The ultimate wild card Simona Halep may face Aryna Sabalenka in the Miami second round.
The former world No. 1 is cleared to play for the first time since the 2022 US Open when she takes on Paula Badosa in her Miami opener. An even greater test could be in store for her.
Miami, Florida βAt the Miami Open, a new women’s champion will be crowned in lieu of Petra Kvitova, the winner from last year, who is now on maternity leave. But will it be one of the top seeds and favorites going into the tournament, or will one of the numerous sleepers and threats throw a spanner in the works?
The No. 3 seed Coco Gauff’s division had an unseeded Naomi Osaka, who advanced to the final in this venue in 2022. They may face each other in the fourth round. Then there’s the ultimate wild card: the fiercely returning Simona Halep, who might face No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka for the first time in South Florida after CAS’s decision lifted her drug ban.
Iga Swiatek, the top seed, will face either big-hitting Camila Giorgi or fellow countrywoman Magdalena Frech in the second round, having just won her second Indian Wells title. The 22-year-old, who missed the competition last year due to injury, will be making his Miami debut for the first time since 2022.
She will need to start strong because the third round will feature a rematch between Linda Noskova and Swiatek, should both advance. This will be their third encounter of the year. The world No. 1 player later exacted revenge on her opponent at Indian Wells with a commanding 6-4, 6-0 third-round triumph. The Czech prodigy had previously stunned Swiatek in the Australian Open third round.
Jessica Pegula, ranked No. 5, is predicted to face Swiatek in the quarterfinals. The American will likely face Marie Bouzkova or Zhu Lin in the second round. Pegula, a resident of South Florida, has found herself in an exciting section that includes No. 12 Jasmine Paolini, who won eight of her past nine matches and claimed the biggest prize of her career in Dubai, as well as No. 31 Leylah Fernandez and No. 20 seed Emma Navarro.
Navarro, who defeated world No. 2 Sabalenka at Indian Wells, is in scorching form. She won her first WTA trophy in Hobart earlier this year. Conversely, Fernandez was not even in the Top 50 at this time last year, and she nearly dropped out of the Top 100 altogether in the summer. Nevertheless, she is currently inching her way into the Top 30. In the third round, Pegula might face Fernandez, and in the fourth, Navarro.
The top half of the draw is all about the drama that awaits No. 3 seed Gauff, who is expected to face world No. 1 Swiatek in the semifinals. If the 20-year-old wins her opening match over Ashlyn Krueger or a qualifier, she might face the highly skilled No. 29 seed Marta Kostyuk in the third round.
However, she will also have to overcome the second top seed in her quarter, No. 6 seed Ons Jabeur, as well as a group of past US Open champions, including four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka and former US Open champions Sloane Stephens and Angelique Kerber, who will play each other in the first round. If both Japanese players progress, they might face No. 15 seed Elina Sviolina in the second round and Gauff in the fourth.
The Miami draw’s bottom half, led by No. 2 seed Sabalenka, is the center of attention. The Romanian is playing in her first tournament since the 2022 US Open, when she tested positive for the banned chemical roxadustat and received a suspension. The Belarusian may play Halep in her opening encounter.
In the opening round, Halep will face Paula Badosa, who was bitten by a snake. Recently, the Spaniard withdrew from Indian Wells due to a persistent low back problem. Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who begins against Clara Burel, is also in Sabalenka and Halep’s division. Other players include No. 13 Liudmila Samsonova, No. 18 Barbora Krejcikova, and No. 32 Anhelina Kalinina.
In a rematch of the Australian Open final this year, Sabalenka is expected to face No. 7 Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals. The Chinese will likely face No. 27 seed Victoria Azarenka in the third round after starting the second round against either Ana Bogdan or Katerina Siniakova.
Zheng’s draw also includes No. 24 seed Katie Boulter, who won the title in San Diego earlier this month, and No. 11 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, who is essentially playing on home turf given the overwhelming Brazilian support she receives in Miami.
The bottom half is rounded out by No. 4 Elena Rybakina and No. 8 Maria Sakkari, who are headed to a Miami quarterfinal matchup. Sakkari, who finished second at Indian Wells, will take the court against either Yue Yuan, who won her first WTA championship in Austin last month, or Anna Blinkova.
Fourth-round opponent Jelena Ostapenko, ranked ninth, is a formidable foe. The powerful Latvian will face a qualifier first, and in the third round, she might face either wild card Emma Raducanu or No. 22 Anna Kalinskaya.
After withdrawing from Indian Wells with a stomach ailment, Rybakina may play her opening match against Caroline Dolehide or a qualifier. The fourth-round match between No. 17 seed Madison Keys and the winner of lefty Diana Shnaider and eight-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, a wild card, may be a power-hitting masterpiece.
