Tennis

Miami Open 2024 preview – seeds, draw, schedule, and predictions

March 20, 2024 6:43 am

Carlos Alcaraz Miami Open scaled
Photo by Icon Sport

Despite some hiccups, Carlos Alcaraz defended his Indian Wells crown. He now turns his attention towards the Hard Rock Stadium and the glory of the Miami Open crown. It was here that his injury concerns appeared last year and against a stacked roster, the Spaniard will have plenty of questions to answer.

After a dismal run in the first leg of the Sunshine Double, the defending champion Daniil Medvedev has a point to prove. He has fallen the pecking order and will be looking to establish his might in the emergence of Alcaraz and the recently crowned Australian Open champion, Jannik Sinner.

These narratives are just the tip of the iceberg for the men’s event. The complications are the same in the women’s competition if not greater. Defending champion Petra Kvitova is not in great form and all eyes point towards Iga Swiatek. The American contingent of Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff cannot be overlooked. The duo claimed the doubles title and will have their sights set on singles glory.

In the midst of it all, question marks will be on Aryna Sabalenka and Simona Halep’s ability to compete. The Belarusian’s partner, Konstantin Koltsov passed away in Miami. On the other hand, Halep will return to the tour after her doping suspension was cut short. Emma Raducanu’s late withdrawal from the Miami Open will surely be discussed during the matches as well.

With all of this and more to come for the fans, the Miami Open promises to be a festival of tennis. Let’s dive into some key specifics for the Miami Open 2024. We’ll explore crucial details such as the tournament schedule, defending champions, event format, and prize money distribution.

Miami Open 2024 preview – key tournament details

After action in Indian Wells, anticipation is palpable for the Miami Open 2024. Tennis enthusiasts around the world eagerly await the excitement and drama that the second and final leg of the sunshine double promises to deliver. In this comprehensive preview, we’ll delve into the key tournament details that set the stage for two weeks of captivating tennis action.

From the tournament schedule to the defending champions, event format, and prize money distribution, each aspect plays a crucial role in shaping the Miami Open experience. Let’s explore these elements in detail to understand what makes the Miami Open a highlight of the tennis calendar.

Tournament Schedule

The Miami Open 2024 is set to unfold over a two-week period from March 17 – March 31. Packed with thrilling tennis matches, the schedule features a blend of day and evening sessions, allowing fans to immerse themselves in the excitement of world-class tennis at various times throughout the day.

Here are the dates and event details for the Miami Open 2024:

20th March

  • Women’s & Men’s Main Draw Singles 1st Round

21st March

  • Women’s Main Draw Singles 2nd Round
  • Men’s Main Draw Singles 1st Round
  • Doubles

22nd March

  • Women’s & Men’s Main Draw Singles 2nd Round
  • Doubles

23rd March

  • Women’s Main Draw Singles 3rd Round
  • Men’s Main Draw Singles 2nd Round
  • Doubles

24th March

  • Women’s & Men’s Main Draw Singles 3rd Round
  • Doubles

25th March

  • Women’s Main Draw Singles 4th Round
  • Men’s Main Draw Singles 3rd Round
  • Doubles

26th March

  • Women’s Main Draw Singles Quarterfinals
  • Men’s Main Draw Singles 4th Round
  • Doubles

27th March

  • Women’s & Men’s Main Draw Singles Quarterfinals
  • Men’s DoublesWomen’s
  • Doubles Semifinals

28th March

  • Women’s Main Draw Singles Semifinals
  • Men’s Main Draw Singles Quarterfinals
  • Men’s Doubles Semifinals

29th March

  • Men’s Main Draw Singles Semifinals
  • Women’s Doubles Semifinals

30th March

  • Women’s Main Draw Singles Final
  • Men’s Doubles Final

31st March

  • Men’s Main Draw Singles Final
  • Women’s Doubles Final

Defending Champions

The defending champions for the Miami Open 2024 are Daniil Medvedev in the men’s singles category, who defeated Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the previous year’s final, and Petra Kvitová in the women’s singles category, overcoming Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.

Additionally, Santiago González from Mexico and Édouard Roger-Vasselin from France are the defending champions in the men’s doubles, having defeated the United States’ Austin Krajicek and France’s Nicolas Mahut in the 2023 final with a score of 7–6(7–4), 7–5.

In the women’s doubles category, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula from the United States clinched the title in 2023 by defeating Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and the United States’ Taylor Townsend with a score of 7–6(8–6), 6–2.

Event Format

The event format for the Miami Open closely mirrors that of Indian Wells, with a structured system designed to accommodate a large number of players while ensuring competitive integrity and fairness.

Matches throughout the tournament adhere to a ‘best of three’ format with a full third set, adding an extra layer of intensity and excitement to each encounter. In this format, both the men’s and women’s singles events feature a main draw with 96 players.

Among these players, 32 are designated as seeds, 12 earn entry through qualifiers, and 8 receive wildcards. Notably, the 32 seeded players receive a bye into the second round of the tournament, providing them with an initial advantage.

Prize Money

As players compete for glory on the courts of Miami, the generous prize money serves as a powerful incentive, elevating the competition and adding an extra dimension of excitement to the event. The prize money for the 2024 Miami Open stands at an impressive $17,600,000, with equal distribution between the men’s and women’s tournaments, highlighting the commitment to gender equality in tennis.

This substantial prize fund is split between the ATP and WTA, with each governing body receiving $8,995,555. The distribution of prize money ensures that players across both tours are rewarded fairly for their performances. Notably, the winners of the men’s and women’s singles competitions will each collect a substantial prize of $1,100,000, reflecting the prestige and significance of claiming victory in one of the most prestigious tournaments on the tennis calendar.

Miami Open 2024 preview – breakdown of the men’s and women’s singles draws

We have talked about the tournament, let’s delve into the top seeds, highlighting the players expected to lead the charge and make significant impacts throughout the event. Next, we’ll share our outright predictions, offering hot tips and speculative forecasts on potential winners, adding an element of anticipation and excitement to the preview.

Top Seeds

With a total of 32 seeds in both the ATP and WTA events, each player receives a coveted first-round bye, providing them with a strategic advantage as they advance deeper into the tournament. These seeds represent the cream of the crop in the world of tennis, boasting impressive rankings and formidable skills on the court.

Among them, the top 8 seeds stand out as the elite contenders. Let’s now take a closer look at the top seeds in both the ATP and WTA draws, exploring their strengths, achievements, and prospects for success at the Miami Open 2024.

Daniil Medvedev Miami Open
Photo by Icon Sport

ATP top seeds

Here are the top 8 seeds for the ATP event at the Miami Open 2024, along with their rankings:

  1. Carlos Alcaraz – Seed 1, ATP Ranking: 2
  2. Jannik Sinner – Seed 2, ATP Ranking: 3
  3. Daniil Medvedev – Seed 3, ATP Ranking: 4
  4. Alexander Zverev – Seed 4, ATP Ranking: 5
  5. Andrey Rublev – Seed 5, ATP Ranking: 6
  6. Holger Rune – Seed 6, ATP Ranking: 7
  7. Casper Ruud – Seed 7, ATP Ranking: 8
  8. Hubert Hurkacz – Seed 8, ATP Ranking: 9

WTA top seeds

Here are the top 8 seeds for the WTA event at the Miami Open 2024, along with their player names and rankings:

  1. Iga Swiatek – Seed 1, WTA Ranking: 1
  2. Aryna Sabalenka – Seed 2, WTA Ranking: 2
  3. Coco Gauff – Seed 3, WTA Ranking: 3
  4. Elena Rybakina – Seed 4, WTA Ranking: 4
  5. Jessica Pegula – Seed 5, WTA Ranking: 5
  6. Ons Jabeur – Seed 6, WTA Ranking: 6
  7. Qinwen Zheng – Seed 7, WTA Ranking: 7
  8. Maria Sakkari – Seed 8, WTA Ranking: 9

My outright predictions – wrapping up this Miami Open 2024 preview with hot tips

With the Miami Open’s qualifiers about to complete and the event beckoning, all and sundry are busy with predictions. Here is our take on the subject.

Men’s outright winner – Jannik Sinner

Carlitos managed to defend his crown and will surely be in seventh heaven. However, it looks unlikely he will be able to repeat his heroics at the Hard Rock Stadium, the Spanaird’s fitness is dubious at best and will come into questioning at later part of the event.

For the second year in a row, Medvedev finished as runner-up at Indian Wells. While he cannot be underestimated, our pick is Jannik Sinner. The Italian ace has been in superb form, picking up the Rotterdam Open title after his Australian Open success. He was the runner-up in the 2023 edition and should be lifting the trophy this time around.

Women’s outright winner – Iga Swiatek

The women’s division is stacked with talent. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula have home turf advantage. Elena Rybakina was the beaten finalist and Aryna Sabalenka would want to focus on the court to put her real-life issues behind her.

In the midst of it all, world number 1, Iga Swiatek continues to impress. The Polish star was sublime at Indian Wells, without dropping a single set. She will not be skipping a beat to complete the Sunshine Double set and we are backing her to triumph.

Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!