Schedule and Preview Miami Open 2025 Day One: Naomi Osaka, Petra Kvitova in action as WTA draw begins

Tuesday 18 March sees the start of the 2025 Miami Open with multiple Grand Slam champions among the offering as the schedule is now confirmed for Day Three overall but technically Day One for the Main Draw.

The second part of the so-called Sunshine Double, the Miami Open shifts from Indian Wells in California to another sunnier climb as Florida hosts proceedings. The ATP side of the draw starts tomorrow as Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova are the leading duo in action on Tuesday.

Naomi Osaka will finally click eventually and has often performed well but has received injury luck from hell or has often received pretty poor draws. It is a tad bit easier than usual to start albeit not one to take fully lightly.

Osaka will take on Yuliia Starodubtseva in the opening round with Liudmila Samsonova likely awaiting in Round Two if she completes the feat. Samsonova rose in the WTA Rankings this week and had a good Indian Wells but unlike some ties it is less of a daunting prospect.

Daria Kasatkina likely awaits if she gets through that as the other seed in that section of the draw. They are second on Grandstand so will be just after midday local time which is around 6pm in Europe. Then it is the turn of Petra Kvitova who makes the return to the scene of her title win just two years ago.

She came from nowhere to have a real renaissance and show that she still very much has the game to compete at the highest level. It was a real time of highs for Kvitova who then found out she was going to be a mother and then took most of 2024 off before returning earlier this year.

Like Osaka, it has been a struggle thus far. But unlike some like Angelique Kerber who came back found out it wasn't for them and then left again, Kvitova is determined. She wants to return to the top but it may take some time.

Either it goes the way usually of Osaka for instance or it can be a speedy process like Bencic or Svitolina so time will tell. She faces Sofia Kenin who of course will be cheered on by the home crowd but also has never hit top form again herself.

The winner will battle Coco Gauff who is the carrot dangling for the victor in that section. Also they will know likely that a run awaits if they can get past that as Maria Sakkari is the seed in that section who isn't in great form. So chance for inroads for Kvitova albeit Kenin isn't just going to roll over.

Ashlyn Krueger is also involved on Tuesday and is a bit of a horror draw for Elena Rybakina as the American has been one of the players of the season so far.

She is also just outside the seeded positions so in reality is one of the worst ties you can get. She opens up against Renata Zarazua to end proceedings on Day One.

Opening up is Alycia Parks who takes on Varvara Gracheva in the opening round. The winner faces Leylah Fernandez. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Magda Linette also headlines elsewhere.

Men's Qualifying also concludes with the main draw starting for those players on Wednesday. The big names will be in action later in the week.