World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is expected to return to the Miami Open this year for the first time since 2019.
The winner of a record 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic is on the entry list for the upcoming tournament at Hard Rock Stadium, March 17-31, as is women’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
Djokovic has won the Miami Open six times but was unable to play the past few years because he declined the COVID vaccine and U.S. COVID travel laws did not allow unvaccinated non-U.S. citizens to enter the country. The United States was among the countries that required COVID vaccination without the option of providing a test as an alternative, but rules have changed.
Swiatek, the 2022 Miami Open champion, regained the world No. 1 ranking last week with a straight-sets win over last year’s Miami Open runner-up Elena Rybakina in Qatar.
Defending champion Petra Kvitova is not playing in Miami this year, having announced her pregnancy at the start of the year.
Defending men’s champion Danill Medvedev and finalist Jannik Sinner are back, and their rivalry continues. Sinner reversed the result of last year’s Miami Open final at the 2024 Australian Open, where he came back from two sets down to become the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam title since 1976. He is riding a 12-match win streak.
Among the other top players on the Miami Open entry list: world No. 2s Aryna Sabalenka and 2022 Champion Carlos Alcaraz, are both returning to the Miami Open and eager to regain the No. 1 ranking. Sabalenka won the 2024 Australian Open without dropping a set. Alcaraz, the 20-year-old Spanish phenom, has won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and four ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
Florida residents expected to play include Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys, sitting at No.3, No.5 and No.16 on the WTA rankings with Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton at No.10, 14, 15 and 16 on the ATP rankings.
This year’s Miami Open will include the Wheelchair Invitational and Major League Pickleball Showcase. For ticket information, visit www.miamiopen.com
