With Indian Wells in the books, the tennis world moves into the second leg of the Sunshine Double, the Miami Open. On the women’s side, top seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will aim to complete the coveted Sunshine Double after her victory in the California desert, while Elena Rybakina, Iga Świątek, and Coco Gauff will look to stop the Belarusian.
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina Set for a Semifinal Clash at the Miami Open
Sabalenka and Rybakina have contested each other in the title matches at the last three major WTA events — the WTA Finals last year, and the Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open this year. In Miami, the draw sets up the two most in-form players for a potential semifinal clash.
For Sabalenka, the early rounds appear manageable. She will likely begin against a qualifier or Ann Li, having won both of her previous encounters against the American. Her potential third-round opponent is 29th-seeded Wang Xinyu, against whom she holds a 1-0 head-to-head advantage.
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Sabalenka’s possible fourth-round opponent will be either 24th-seeded Zheng Qinwen or 15th-seeded Madison Keys. She has lost only once in eight matches against Zheng. Keys famously beat her in the Australian Open final last year, but Sabalenka has won six of their eight meetings overall, including a victory in Brisbane this year.
In the quarterfinals, Sabalenka could face seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini or ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina, with Svitolina the more likely given her strong form this year. Sabalenka has won six of seven previous encounters against the Ukrainian, including a dominant win in the Australian Open semifinal.
Sabalenka could then meet Rybakina, with their head-to-head standing at 9-7 in favor of the Belarusian. The winner would likely face either Świątek or Gauff in the final.
Rybakina’s path is trickier. She may face Yulia Putintseva or Janice Tjen in the early rounds. While she has not faced Tjen, she has lost two of three matches against Putintseva.
Beyond that, 16th-seeded Marta Kostyuk and 18th-seeded Naomi Osaka loom as likely third- and fourth-round opponents. Rybakina has won four of five matches against Kostyuk and has yet to face Osaka.
In the quarterfinals, Rybakina could meet fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula, whom she has already beaten twice this year in Melbourne and at Indian Wells. If she advances to the semifinal against Sabalenka, the winner of that clash could be favored to win the title.
Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff Are Set for a Potential Semifinal Clash in Miami
Świątek and Gauff enter Miami eager to make deep runs after slow starts to the year, with Rybakina surpassing them in the rankings. They are slated for a semifinal clash, though both face challenges to get there.
Gauff’s potential opening-round opponent is Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The American has won three of their four meetings, but Cocciaretto claimed their most recent encounter at the Qatar Open this year.
Gauff could then face 28th-seeded Maya Joint in the third round, a first-time matchup. In the fourth round, she may meet Linda Noskova, who reached the Indian Wells semifinal. Gauff holds the head-to-head advantage, having won both prior matches.
Her likely quarterfinal opponents are sixth-seeded Amanda Anisimova or 12th-seeded Belinda Bencic. Gauff has won four of six matches against Bencic but has lost two of three against Anisimova.
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Świątek will likely open against Magda Linette or Varvara Gracheva, neither expected to pose a major threat. She could then face 31st-seeded Alexandra Eala, who beat her in Miami last year. In the fourth round, she may meet 13th-seeded Karolina Muchová or 17th-seeded Clara Tauson. Świątek has won four of five matches against Muchová and two of three against Tauson, though Tauson won their last meeting at the Canadian Open.
Świątek’s likely quarterfinal opponent is Mirra Andreeva or Victoria Mboko. She has not faced Mboko but has lost two of three matches against Andreeva. Given the form of both Świątek and Gauff, reaching the semifinals will be difficult, especially with serving vulnerabilities. If they do meet, Świątek will hold the head-to-head advantage overall, but Gauff will be the slight favorite, having won her last four matches against the Pole, including a victory this year at the United Cup.
