Our top Miami Open storylines

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Two years prior to now, the ultimate time Iga Swiatek and Maria Sakkari carried out a tennis match, there have been some big implications — nevertheless on the time, no one knew how big.

They met throughout the BNP Paribas Open final and Swiatek acquired by a routine 6-4, 6-1 rely. The under-the-radar prize: With Swiatek ranked No.4 and Sakkari No.6, the two players jumped up into the No.2 and No.3 spots. That proved important when World No.1 Ashleigh Barty retired one week later — and Swiatek, not Sakkari, was elevated to No.1, the 28^th participant in Hologic WTA Tour historic previous to realize that milestone.

Elevate your hand must you believed the 20-year-old from Poland would nonetheless be on the prime of women’s tennis two years later. Besides Aryna Sabalenka’s eight-week go to to the summit late last summer season, Swiatek’s reign has been a everlasting one.

Sunday at Indian Wells, historic previous repeated itself. Swiatek was actually one larger this time, dispatching Sakkari 6-4, 6-0 throughout the final. Swiatek acquired the ultimate eight video video games and dropped solely 21 in six matches. She’s produced 23 6-0 models in WTA 1000 events — an excellent 11.2 p.c success cost.

“I bear in mind each little factor, really,” Swiatek said of that 2022 run. “It was pretty crazy. I’m pretty proud of the best way by which I tailor-made to all these challenges that I wanted to face. First turning into World No. 1, then actually feeling comfortable with it and using it on courtroom and being the aim of many players that wanted to beat considerably me.”

The 2022 win throughout the desert bought right here early in a 37-match win streak that included the title on the Miami Open. Swiatek scored the coveted Sunshine Double, beating Coco Gauff, Petra Kvitova, Jessica Pegula and Naomi Osaka in her last 4 matches. She’s in place to do it as soon as extra when main-draw play opens this week.

She’ll play the winner of Camila Giorgi-Magdalena Frech throughout the second spherical and, if she advances, Linda Noskova for the third time this 12 months. Noskova , a 19-year-old from the Czech Republic, upset Swiatek throughout the third spherical of the Australian Open sooner than shedding to her at Indian Wells.

Listed below are one other excellent Miami storylines:

Tuesday’s schedule

The Miami Open couldn’t have requested for a additional spectacular start than this. Feast your eyes on the star-studded matchups scheduled for Day 1 in Miami:

Seven-time fundamental champion Venus Williams performs Diana Shnaider.

Caroline Wozniacki, a quarterfinalist at Indian Wells, meets Clara Burel. 

Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, faces Wang Xiyu.

Simona Halep, returning for the first time given that 2022 US Open, performs Paula Badosa.

Speaking of Halep … 

The two-time Grand Slam champion is once more after profitable an enchantment over a doping suspension.

She promptly accepted a wild card into the Miami Open and has been practising on website online for virtually per week now.

Halep’s last match bought right here 18 months prior to now on the 2022 US Open. The Miami draw was not considerably sort. Halep meets Paula Badosa throughout the first spherical, with the winner getting No.2 Aryna Sabalenka throughout the second.

Which begs the question …

 Can Sabalenka pull it collectively?

She left Australia in January with a second consecutive Australian Open title, a final in Brisbane and a report of 11-1.

Since then, she’s 2-2. Sabalenka misplaced her solely match throughout the Heart East to Donna Vekic and certainly not gained any precise traction in Indian Wells. She struggled to beat Peyton Stearns in a second-round match that featured two tiebreaks and was pushed by Emma Raducanu throughout the third spherical. Emma Navarro bested her throughout the quarterfinals 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

In 5 earlier Miami tournaments, Sabalenka has certainly not been earlier the quarterfinals. 

How will Rybakina fare?

The 24-year-old from Kazakhstan has acquired 17 of her 20 matches this 12 months and has a title (Abu Dhabi) and a WTA 1000 final (Doha).

Nonetheless since then, Rybakina granted a walkover to Jasmine Paolini throughout the Dubai quarterfinals — and withdrew sooner than she carried out a single match in Indian Wells.

A 12 months prior to now, she misplaced a memorable Miami final to Petra Kvitova, 7-6 (14), 6-2.

Will Jabeur take steps within the becoming course?

She’s been to a couple fundamental finals beforehand two calendar years, but it surely certainly’s been sluggish going for the affable Jabeur in 2024.

After shedding throughout the second spherical of the Australian Open, Jabeur went 1-2 in Abu Dhabi and Doha sooner than pulling out of Dubai with a continuous knee harm. Her first match in Indian Wells led to defeat, by the palms of untamed card Katie Volynets.

Jabeur’s Miami report is 5-4. Closing 12 months, she misplaced her first match to qualifier Varvar Gracheva.

Will Sakkari maintain it going?

She was 3-3 in her three earlier WTA 1000s nevertheless acquired 5 straight sooner than falling to Swiatek. Clearly, Sakkari acquired a pleasing bounce from the addition of coach David Witt to her workers. Beforehand, Witt had coached Pegula for higher than 4 years.

Sakkari’s most interesting effort bought right here in a wild, rain-delayed 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 semifinal over Coco Gauff that required higher than 5 hours to complete. It’s more than likely the memory she’ll take alongside along with her going forward.

“It is what it is correct now,” she said of the loss to Swiatek. “I’m now already inquisitive about Miami, not shedding first spherical as soon as extra on account of I don’t have a superb report the ultimate couple of years after going deep proper right here.”