The women’s main draw action in the 2026 Miami Open kicked off at the Hard Rock Stadium on March 17, with the first-round matches already underway. This brings the local stars, especially the top-ranked American Coco Gauff and two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova, into the spotlight.
During their pre-tournament press conferences, both stars discussed their goals for the event, adding a personal connection to their participation.
Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova Talk About Their 2026 Miami Open Goals
Being the top-ranked American and World No. 4, Gauff will enter the 2026 Miami Open as the fourth seed, receiving a first-round bye. She will step foot on court for the first time during the second round, where she will either face Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto or Latvian Darja Semenistaja.
Ahead of the tournament, Gauff spoke about her goal heading into another WTA 1000 tournament. She said, “I would love to do well here. It seems like every time I do bad here, I end up doing well on the clay, which I can’t get too mad, but this is obviously a bucket-list tournament for me.”
This is evident: every time Gauff suffered an early exit at the Miami hard courts, she had more time to prepare for the clay-court swing, ultimately performing better at the clay-court tournaments.
In 2021, she suffered a second-round exit against Anastasija Sevastova in Miami, and she made the quarterfinals in the Charleston Open, semifinals in the Italian Open, and lifted the trophies in both singles and doubles draws in the Emilia-Romagna Open, and a quarterfinal run in Roland Garros.
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More importantly, her 2025 Miami Open campaign ended in the Round of 16, allowing her to deliver a runner-up finish in Madrid, Italy, and her second Grand Slam title in Roland Garros 2025.
Speaking about her accommodation during the tournament, the World No. 4 said, “I do stay at home, but I’ve also played this tournament in the past where I’ve stayed in a hotel, and neither has been better.” Hoping to change things this year, the American replied with optimism, saying, “I prefer to stay home, but I don’t know, but maybe this year is the year.”
Gauff was born in Boca Raton, Florida, but spent her early years in Atlanta, Georgia, before moving back to Delray Beach for better training opportunities when she turned 7.
Anisimova, on the other hand, is the World No. 6 and will enter the 2026 Miami Open as the sixth seed, receiving a bye in the first round, like Gauff. She will begin her campaign in the second round against the Australian Ajla Tomljanović, who defeated Simona Waltert 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.
The 24-year-old entered the 2017 Miami Open as a wildcard, facing Taylor Townsend in the first-round match, which was also her first main draw match on the WTA Tour. Reflecting upon the long history, the Miami Beach resident said, “I feel like I started my pro career here.”
“I feel really at home here. I always have a lot of friends and family come out to support me. A lot of special memories and lots of experiences,” the World No. 6 added, addressing the importance this second leg of the Sunshine Doubles holds for her.
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Since her first-round exit in 2017, her best result at the tournament was a Round of 32 appearance in 2021, when she lost to Canadian legend Bianca Andreescu. However, last year, the American improved her record by going past the third round, where she lost to Emma Raducanu in the fourth round in straight sets.
This year, both stars have already had deep runs at multiple tournaments, giving them enough momentum to reach the later stages of the event, possibly even lifting the title.
