After the emotions of the Indian Wells tournament it is already time for the second WTA 1000 of the season, the tournament in Miami. Carlos Alcaraz (in the ATP Masters 1000 – ed.) and Elena Rybakina won in Indian Wells, and the WTA Tour seems to be more and more interesting.
The victories of Aryna Sabalenka in Melbourne and Rybakina in Indian Wells have practically clarified that the dominance of world number one Iga Swiatek is increasingly tenuous, and there is also a great balance in the women’s Tour.
Many interesting young players and a tournament that promises to be very balanced. The number one Iga Swiatek will face, after the Bye, the winner between Katerina Siniakova and Liu, while in the third round she could catch Martina Trevisan, or Danka Kovinic.
A fairly complicated draw for Iga, who will probably once again find her nightmare Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh has beaten the Polish twice out of two in this 2023 and the two could find themselves faced again in the Quarterfinals.
Iga needs to find herself and her good sensations if she wants to keep the role of ruler on the WTA Tour. In 2023, the Polish tennis player alternated moments of great tennis, such as in Doha, and great disappointments, such as in Melbounrne and at the BNP Paribas Open.
The blackouts, after the triumph at the US Open 2022, have gradually increased. The opponents begin to find countermeasures to the tennis that Iga plays, taking the court, and gagging her power.
She will need tactical intelligence and countermeasures to return to being the ruler we admired in 2022.
The other challenges in Miami
On her way Elena Rybakina will have to beat Paula Badosa and Daria Kasatkina before her. The favorites for a possible match in the semifinals are the Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.
A rather complicated calendar before the final. Challenge between Grand Slam champions in the first round, the challenge between Emma Raducanu and Bianca Andreescu is intriguing, the winner would instead face the Greek Maria Sakkari. Interesting debuts also for Aryna Sabalenka who will face the winner of the match between Sloane Stephens and Shelby Rogers.