Angelique Kerber, Paula Badosa, Naomi Osaka and Amanda Anisimova all enter Miami Open through protected ranking

With the 2024 Miami Open only a few weeks away, several WTA superstars have been granted automatic entry via their protected rankings despite missing a significant amount of time last season.

A WTA 1000 event, the Miami Open is the second event of the Sunshine Double in North America, with Indian Wells occurring the week prior. Slated to run from March 19-31, 2024, the Miami Open features the best players on tour as they battle for one of the most prestigious titles in tennis history.

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Former Grand Slam champions to compete under protected ranking

In addition to the current top stars on tour, there will also be an influx of players who were once at the top of the WTA rankings but had to take time off for various reasons. The WTA 1000 event will feature a pair of former Grand Slam champions, with German Angelique Kerber and Japan's Naomi Osaka being granted entry after taking time off to give birth. Also joining the fray is Spain's Paula Badosa, as the former World No,2 spent most of the 2023 season sidelined due to injury. Below is the list of players who have been granted automatic entry and their protected ranking.

• Angelique Kerber (31)
• Paula Badosa (34)
• Naomi Osaka (46)
• Shuai Zhang (48)
• Shelby Rogers (51)
• Daria Saville (54)
• Amanda Anisimova (61)
• Anastasija Sevastova (65)