Preview
Five things to watch out for at the 2026 Miami Open
As we prepare for the second combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournament of the Sunshine Swing, we break down five things you should keep an eye on at this year’s Miami Open presented by Itau.
Will the Brits continue their form?
British fans will be hoping their stars can continue their strong results over the past month or so – in particularly those competing at the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells.
Jack Draper has sparked back into form in California, winning back-to-back matches for the first time since the HSBC Championships – including a victory over world No.20 Francisco Cerundolo and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic so far.
Cam Norrie has arguably been Britain’s standout player on the ATP Tour this season and has once again raised his level in the biggest moments. After reaching the third round in Melbourne, he recently recorded his 13th top 10 win over Alex De Minaur in Indian Wells.
Sonay Kartal has been the talk of the BNP Paribas Open after knocking out two highly seeded home favourites in Emma Navarro and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys – becoming the first British woman to reach the fourth round twice in her career.
Meanwhile, Katie Boulter will have direct entry into the Miami Open, coming off the back of her fourth career title in Ostrava and a quarter-final run in Merida.
Don’t forget, Emma Raducanu also made her second WTA final only a few weeks ago at the Transylvania Open as well.
With the Brits enjoying their time in the Sunshine Swing so far – could they challenge for silverware in Miami?
More surprises in store for 2026?
Last year’s men’s singles event gave us one of the surprises of the season, as then 19-year-old rising star Jakub Mensik lifted the first title of his career at the ATP Masters 1000.
Not only that, but he defeated Draper, Tomas Mahac, Arthur Fils, Taylor Fritz and his idol, Novak Djokovic, in the final 7-6(4), 7-6(4).
The question is – will we see a similar type of breakthrough from a player outside the usual contenders in the ATP and WTA draws, and if so, who could that be?
On the men’s side, three names to watch out for are Learner Tien, Fils and Joao Fonseca. While these might be familiar names, all three currently rank outside the top 25 and could be tipped for silverware this year.
Tien has been one of the stars of 2026 so far – reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and currently enjoying a strong run in Indian Wells. Fils has had an impressive comeback from injury and Fonseca showed glimpses of his best in California, pushing Jannik Sinner to two tie-breaks.
In the women’s draw, Alexandra Eala will no doubt have a huge fan following in Miami, Iva Jovic could be set to have her big break at a WTA 1000, and Australian Talia Gibson – currently outside the top 100 – has been a standout star at Indian Wells.
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The battle for British No.1
The competition for the British No.1 spot in both the men’s and women’s game is hotting up heading into Miami.
Norrie is now expected to overtake Draper and return to the top of the British singles rankings after his impressive display in Indian Wells, but the two will likely be very close on ranking points come Monday.
On the WTA Tour, while the gap between Raducanu and Kartal is currently much wider, the 2021 US Open champion will have points to defend in Miami having made the quarter-finals last year.
With Miami being the last hard court event before the clay court season begins, it will be interesting to see where all four players land in the rankings come the beginning of April and who will hold the British No.1 spots.
Henry Patten & Harri Heliovaara aim to continue winning run
It’s been a tough couple of weeks for the ATP Tour’s most in-form doubles team.
After winning their third title of the season so far in Dubai, Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara were forced to remain in the country until they were able to safely make it home.
Off the back of that, the duo made the decision not to compete at Indian Wells and instead, take some time to rest at home.
Looking ahead to the Miami Open, they will no doubt be the team to beat, having won five of their last six tournaments.
Their biggest challenge will likely come from fellow Brits. Australian Open champions Neal Skupski and Christian Harrison will be aiming to back up their Grand Slam success in their first season together, while last year’s No.1 ranked pair and former Miami Open runners-up Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool will be looking to find the title-winning form from an unbelievable 2025 campaign.
Wheelchair and padel tournaments set for Miami
This year, the Miami Open will include its first sanctioned wheelchair tennis events, as well as its inaugural padel tournament.
In the 50th year of wheelchair tennis, some of the biggest names in the sport will go head-to-head from 25-27 March.
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid have already confirmed their spots in Miami, alongside world No.1 Tokito Oda, reigning women’s champion Aniek Van Koot and Columbia’s Angelica Bernal.
The Pro Padel League will also head to the Miami Open this year, with 10 teams competing against each other from 15-18 March.