Preview 2025 ATP Miami Open: Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz eye redemption, Jack Draper rides wave of momentum
ATP
The 2025 ATP Miami Open is set to kick off this week, marking the second leg of the Sunshine Double with a star-studded draw featuring top names like Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, and Novak Djokovic among the favourites. Our preview takes a look at the tournament ahead, starting Wednesday, March 18.
Sinner’s Absence
The big miss from the tournament is Jannik Sinner, the 2024 champion, who has been suspended for three months and will miss a second consecutive Masters 1000 after skipping Indian Wells. Nevertheless, his No. 1 ranking is not currently at risk, regardless of what happens in Miami. He likely is more under threat during the clay court season when he returns.
The Big Contenders
With the world No. 1 out, Alexander Zverev takes the top seed as the world No. 2 and will be looking for redemption after an early exit in Indian Wells. The German fell in his opening match in the Round of 64 to one of the tournament’s surprise packages, Tallon Griekspoor, in three sets. The Dutchman went on to reach the quarterfinals. Zverev will debut against the winner of Benjamin Bonzi and a qualifier.
Carlos Alcaraz will also aim to go further than he did in Indian Wells. The Spaniard arrived as the defending champion and showed impressive form, but ran into a red-hot Jack Draper in the semifinals, with the Brit eventually taking the crown. Alcaraz lost crucial points he couldn’t defend at Tennis Paradise, and in Miami, he’s defending a semifinal run. He’ll surely be eager to improve on that result and close the gap on Zverev and Sinner in the ATP Rankings. He awaits the winner between Aleksandar Vukic and former world No. 7 David Goffin.
The player brimming with the most confidence is undoubtedly Draper, who had never gone beyond the quarterfinals at a Masters 1000 until last Sunday, when he claimed his first title at this level. The 23-year-old made his top-10 debut this Monday, reaching a career-high of world No. 6. Draper has also climbed to third in the Race and is quickly establishing himself as a major contender in the biggest tournaments.
Another name to watch is Holger Rune, the Indian Wells finalist. Despite the heartbreak of losing to Draper, the Dane arrives with confidence after victories over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev. Rune is still fighting to break into the top-10, and a deep run in Miami could see him follow Draper’s footsteps into the upper echelons of the ATP Rankings.
Novak Djokovic remains the biggest question mark. He could either emerge as a top contender or face another early exit, as seen last week in Indian Wells. There’s no doubt about the level the 24-time Grand Slam champion can produce when he’s physically fit and confident, but that hasn’t been the case in recent tournaments. However, having more time to prepare for Miami might have helped him regain form. He could face an intriguing clash against Hamad Medjedovic — the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals champion, who has previously revealed that Djokovic financially supported his early career as a junior. The 21-year-old will first have to get past Rinky Hijikata to set up a meeting with his mentor.
Americans seeking revenge
The home crowd didn’t have much to cheer about at Indian Wells, with only one American reaching the quarterfinals. It’s been over 20 years since a local player lifted the Miami Open trophy, with Taylor Fritz breaking that drought in 2022, but deep runs have been scarce since. Ben Shelton seemed poised for a strong performance but fell to eventual champion Jack Draper. Last year, Shelton exited in the third round (losing to Lorenzo Musetti), with no Americans making it to the Round of 16.
This time, the Americans seem better poised for success, with seven players among the 32 seeds. Taylor Fritz (3rd seed) leads the charge and awaits the winner of Lorenzo Sonego and Mariano Navone. The second-highest American seed is Tommy Paul (12th), who has shown consistency at this level but hasn’t quite convinced yet. He reached the fourth round at Indian Wells, falling to Daniil Medvedev after some solid early-round wins.
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