With the second month of the 2026 tennis season almost over, players are heading to major cities for upcoming tournaments. March 2026Â is jam-packed with highly rewarding tournaments, providing players with opportunities to earn crucial ranking points for the year-end championships.
Amid this competitive field, let’s take a look at where the top Americans, including Ben Shelton, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and others, will play along with their month-long schedule.
Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, and Other Stars Set to Dominate the WTA Tour
On the women’s side, every major name is set to compete at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, which runs from March 4-15, and then the Miami Open later in the month. Gauff, Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro, rising teenager Iva Jovic, and veteran Venus Williams all appear on the Indian Wells entry list, ready to dominate the home field. Gauff, Pegula, and Anisimova are also listed among the headline American contenders in Miami, showcasing just how important the swing is.
Gauff will kick off another month as the top‑ranked American and the favorite at both WTA 1000 events based on her dominance at this level. World No. 5 Pegula has reached the semifinals or finals in her last seven tournaments and will be looking to continue her momentum in Dubai, where she lifted a WTA 1000 trophy last week. Notably, she was a finalist in Miami last year, losing to the top seed, Aryna Sabalenka, in straight sets.
Another top-ranked American to watch is Anisimova, who is currently ranked world No. 6 and would like to return to her champion form. She lost to Pegula in the Melbourne QF and the Dubai SFÂ and would like to convert one of these upcoming tournaments into a title run.
Navarro recently suffered a major setback, dropping out of the top 20 for the first time since the 2024 Indian Wells. She is expected to enter WTA 1000 tournaments as a seeded player and will look forward to returning to the top rankings.
Keys returns to Indian Wells as an established champion, having a major title from last year under her belt. Jovic, already ranked among the top 20 despite her age, is also another seeded American at both Indian Wells and Miami, giving her exposure to the biggest stages of the tour.
Venus Williams, 45, has accepted a wildcard to play both singles and doubles at Indian Wells and is set to share the court with Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the doubles. She entered the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, in both singles and doubles, but lost to Ajla Tomljanović in the first round and to the top-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Storm Hunter, while teaming with Peyton Stearns.
Coming to Townsend, she is currently outside the top 100 in singles and just inside the top 10 in doubles, and will be looking to achieve success in both draws. Once the WTA releases the final list, it will be clear whether Townsend will get a direct entry or will have to earn her way through the qualifiers.
Ahead of the high-action tournaments, Anisimova will partner with Andrey Rublev, Pegula with Tommy Paul, and Navarro will pair with Shelton to compete in the Eisenhower Cup mixed exhibition at Indian Wells on March 3.
Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Others on the ATP Tour
On the men’s side, Shelton, Fritz, Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda, and Learner Tien will enter the BNP Paribas Open, forming a strong home roster. All six are also on the Miami Open acceptance list, where Fritz and Shelton headline the American men as top 10 seeds alongside the other top players.
Just like the top WTA players, the top American men will step onto the tennis courts at the Eisenhower Cup before the Indian Wells main draw commences. Fritz is set to defend the mixed doubles crown he won last year while teaming up with Elena Rybakina, while the 2024 champion Shelton and Navarro reunite. Paul will team up with Pegula in an American-dominated field that also includes top-ranked players such as Iga Świątek, Daniil Medvedev, and Casper Ruud.
Between Indian Wells and Miami, the key ATP Challenger stop is the Phoenix Challenger 175, staged during the second week. This year’s entry list includes six Americans: Alex Michelsen, Marcos Giron, Eliot Spizzirri, Reilly Opelka, Ethan Quinn, and Emilio Nava.
Michelsen, in particular, is an important name to watch as he is also in the main draws in both Indian Wells and Miami. These men can capitalize on this Phoenix opportunity to collect crucial ranking points just in case their runs in Tennis Paradise unfortunately end early.
