Miami draw: Swiatek heads field; Halep to play Badosa

3m read 17 Mar 2024 1y ago

Jimmie48/WTA

With the BNP Paribas Open officially in the books, we turn our attention to the second half of the Sunshine Double -- the Miami Open presented by Itaú, which kicks off on Tuesday, March 19.

The 2024 Miami Open main draw was revealed on Sunday, and there are already a number of intriguing clashes and storylines to look forward to.

Iga Swiatek

is looking to sweep the Sunshine Double again, Simona Halep is returning to the tour, and new moms and Angelique Kerber face early challenges.

The singles draw features 96 players, with the top 32 seeds receiving first-round byes. Here is a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of potential play over the next two weeks:

First quarter

Once again, World No.1 Swiatek is at the top of the draw on a winning streak. The top seed is fresh off another romp through the Indian Wells draw, where she didn't lose a set en route to the title.

The Polish player is aiming to become the second woman to complete the Sunshine Double twice, having already won Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in 2022. Stefanie Graf is the other woman to pull off the Sunshine Double two times, in 1994 and 1996.

Swiatek will meet either her compatriot Magdalena Frech

or Italy's Camila Giorgi in the second round. Swiatek could meet her Australian Open conqueror in the third round for the second straight event, but Swiatek already avenged that loss in Indian Wells.

At the other side of the top quarter is No.5 seed Jessica Pegula

, who has No.12 seed , No.20 and No.31 in her vicinity. Paolini, this year's Dubai champion, is the only player other than Swiatek to win a WTA 1000 title this year.

Main draw in Miami, where Iga Swiatek
View Profile , Aryna Sabalenka
View Profile , Coco Gauff
View Profile , and Elena Rybakina
View Profile are the top seeds.

Notable 1Rs:

Halep-Badosa (winner to face Sabalenka)
Osaka-Cocciaretto
Kerber-Stephens
Venus Williams-Shnaider
Raducanu-Wang Xiyu pic.twitter.com/FzKc5hcTix
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 17, 2024

Second quarter

No.3 seed Coco Gauff

tops this quarter, at her home event. The Floridian will meet either fellow American or a qualifier in the second round. Indian Wells semifinalist would be her third-round opponent if seedings hold.

Osaka or No.15 seed Elina Svitolina

could be a possible Round of 16 opponent for Gauff. Osaka and Svitolina would meet in the second round if Osaka gets past in the first round. Cocciaretto just won the WTA 125 Charleston title on Saturday.

Ons Jabeur

and are the other Top 10 seeds in this quarter. This portion also contains an intriguing first-round match between Grand Slam champions -- Kerber vs. Sloane Stephens. Stephens, who won the 2018 Miami Open title, leads Kerber 5-2 in their head-to-head.

Third quarter

Last year's Miami runner-up, No.4 seed Elena Rybakina

, is the highest-ranked player in this quarter. Rybakina, who was unable to defend her Indian Wells title due to illness, will take on either or a qualifier in the second round.

In the same section, three-time Miami champion Venus Williams (who won the event for the first time in 1998) will face Diana Shnaider

, Saturday's WTA 125 Charleston finalist, in the first round. The winner of that match will play against No.17 seed .

No.8 seed Maria Sakkari

is at the other end of this quarter, following her run to the Indian Wells final. If seeds hold, Sakkari would meet No.9 in the Round of 16, but , No.22 and No.28 are also in this section.

See you soon @MiamiOpen 🎾☀️#miamiopen pic.twitter.com/J9T5xjW5a4
— Venus Williams (@Venuseswilliams) March 16, 2024

Fourth quarter

No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka

has a number of former Top 2 players in her section at the bottom of the draw. In the second round, Sabalenka will face the winner of the opening-round match between former World No.2 and returning former World No.1 Halep.

Having received a wild card, Romania's Halep is playing her first event on tour since the 2022 US Open. Her record against Badosa is spectacular so far -- Halep is 2-0 against the Spaniard, never losing more than three games in a set.

A potential third-round opponent for those players is former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki

, who made the first quarterfinal of her comeback from a three-year maternity leave in Indian Wells. In the first round, Wozniacki will meet .

The other side of this quarter boasts another three-time Miami champion -- No.27 seed Victoria Azarenka

. The former World No.1 claimed this title in 2009, 2011 and 2016 -- in that last year, she pulled off the Sunshine Double.

Azarenka could face No.7 seed Zheng Qinwen, this year's Australian Open finalist, in the third round.

WTA Staff