Here’s everything you need to know about the Miami Open, including the draw, who’s playing and the schedule, with the tournament live on Sky Sports…
Simona Halep will face Paula Badosa as she makes her return to tennis following the reduction in length of her doping ban on Tuesday.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Halep has had her four-year suspension cut to nine months after a successful appeal and is now free to resume a career that has included 24 titles, including one each at the French Open and Wimbledon.
“To me it’s been 18 months of torture. I’ve always believed in her. I’ve always believed she would never deliberately or knowingly take anything that was wrong or banned,” Halep’s coach Darren Cahill told Sky Sports Tennis.
“That came through when they went to CAS [The Court of Arbitration for Sport] and the truth came out so I know she’s been through a tough moment and a tough period of 18 months and I’m super proud of the way she’s handled herself and the way that she’s carried herself throughout this entire time. I could not be happier to see her playing in Miami.”
The former world No 1 will face Badosa in the first round in Miami and if she comes through that, her next opponent will be current world No 2 and reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.
The Brits are back in action at the Miami Open from 20-31 March
Britain’s Emma Raducanu is also in action on Tuesday and will face China’s Wang Xiyu first up, with compatriot Katie Boulter – who won the San Diego Open earlier this month – handed an opening-round bye as 24th seed.
Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams also play on a bumper first day of action which begins on Tuesday from 3pm UK time – live on Sky Sports Tennis.
Fresh from her Indian Wells triumph, world No 1 Iga Swiatek is the defending champion on the women’s side and Daniil Medvedev won last year’s event on the men’s side.
Who is playing?
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Daniil Medvedev is the defending Miami Open men’s champion
Medvedev and Swiatek will headline the field, but one player who will not be heading to Florida is six-time champion Novak Djokovic.
He has played just three times this year – representing Serbia in the United Cup, reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open, and falling in just the third round of Indian Wells.
“At this stage of my career, I’m balancing my private and professional schedule,” Djokovic posted on X. “I’m sorry that I won’t experience some of the best and most passionate fans in the world.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion suffered a shock third-round loss to 123rd-ranked Italian Luka Nardi at Indian Wells.
Petra Kvitova, the women’s champion in 2023, will not play after recently announcing that she is due to give birth later this year.
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Darren Cahill says he’s always believed that Simona Halep would never knowingly take a banned substance and that his former player has been through 18 months of torture
Which British players will be in action?
Andy Murray
Two-time champion Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans lead the British men in the field, backed up by Boulter and Raducanu, who continues her comeback to the WTA Tour, on the women’s side.
Harriet Dart will attempt to make the main draw as she goes through the qualifying route. She beat Ena Koike 6-2 6-3 to move into the second round but it was not such good news for Heather Watson, who fell to a 4-6 6-1 3-6 to Oceane Dodin.
Jodie Burrage and Liam Broady have been ruled out of the tournament because of injury.
What’s the schedule?
- Tuesday, March 19 – Women’s singles first round
- Wednesday, March 20 – Men’s and women’s singles first round
- Thursday, March 21 – Women’s singles second round, men’s singles first round
- Friday, March 22 – Men’s and women’s singles second round
- Saturday, March 23 – Women’s singles third round, men’s singles second round
- Sunday, March 24 – Men’s and women’s singles third round
- Monday, March 25 – Women’s singles fourth round, men’s singles third round
- Tuesday, March 26 – Women’s singles quarter-finals, men’s singles fourth round
- Wednesday, March 27 – Men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals
- Thursday, March 28 – Women’s singles semi-finals, men’s singles quarter-finals
- Friday, March 29 – Men’s singles semi-finals
- Saturday, March 30 – Women’s singles final
- Sunday, March 31 – Men’s singles final
Where is it being played?
An aerial view of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami
After 32 years at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, the tournament made its debut at Hard Rock Stadium – home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins – in 2019.
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