'Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Thiem are not in Miami, that's good for us,' said Bautista Agut

World no. 12 Roberto Bautista Agut had a mixture of good and bad results so far in 2021, winning nine out of 16 matches and dropping two ATP finals in Montpellier and Doha.

After an early Dubai exit to Jannik Sinner, Roberto will compete at Miami Open as the 7th seed, hoping for a deep run and a notable result in the absence of the world's leading players. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem have all withdrawn from Miami, leaving the door wide open for many players in the raw. Speaking about the missing stars, Bautista Agut said it is a good thing for those who are playing in Miami, as they have the opportunity to chase a notable trophy.

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"Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem are all skipping Miami, and it is good news for all of us in the draw. Today's tennis is very even, and any rival can beat you if you don't play well. Roger's return involves many expectations. When he plays, the spotlight and attention are all on him.

I think it is very positive for tennis that he is back and plays as long as possible. Roger, Rafa and Novak mean a lot to tennis as they are sport's world icons. They make tennis more important," Roberto Bautista Agut said.