The dust is only starting to settle on what was a thrilling women’s event in Indian Wells, but all attention now quickly turns to the Miami Open — the second half of the ‘Sunshine Double’.
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula to lift the title at the WTA 1000 event twelve months ago, and both women are back in action this year, joining Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff among the top seeds and leading title contenders.
Here, we make our predictions for how the action could pan out in Miami.
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First Quarter
Projected Q/F: (1) Aryna Sabalenka vs (7) Jasmine Paolini
Entering as the defending Miami champion and the new Indian Wells champion, can Sabalenka retain her title and also complete the ‘Sunshine Double’ this year?
The world No 1 has a favourable draw early on, but could get an interesting test in round four, where she could potentially face 15th seed Madison Keys or 23rd seed Zheng Qinwen.
Victory there would lead Sabalenka to a projected quarter-final against seventh seed Paolini, whom she beat in the semi-final of this event twelve months ago.
Paolini has not been at her best so far in 2026, and the Italian has a tough draw early on, with a potential round-three clash against 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko, a former finalist in Miami.
The Italian is also projected to face ninth seed Elina Svitolina in the fourth round, with the Ukrainian in superb form across the opening months of the season.
Prediction: Sabalenka def Svitolina
Second Quarter
Projected Q/F: (3) Elena Rybakina vs (5) Jessica Pegula
Rybakina and Pegula have already met at the Australian Open and in Indian Wells this year, and are projected for yet another showdown in Miami.
The Kazakh won both their matches this season and looked in strong form in Indian Wells despite her final defeat, though she does not have the easiest early draw here.
She could again face 27th seed Marta Kostyuk, another player she beat in Indian Wells, in round three, before a potential blockbuster in the fourth round versus Naomi Osaka, the 16th seed.
2025 Miami runner-up Pegula could face Venus Williams in her opener and then face a test against 26th seed Leylah Fernandez in round three, before a potential fourth-round against 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The question for Pegula, if she does end up facing Rybakina, is: what can she do to snap her losing streak against the Australian Open champion?
Prediction: Rybakina def Pegula
Third Quarter
Projected Q/F: (6) Amanda Anisimova vs (4) Coco Gauff
Neither Anisimova nor Gauff have been at their free-flowing best throughout parts of 2026, and both American stars will be looking to rediscover their best form on home soil.
Sixth seed Anisimova has a kind draw in the opening rounds but could face a tough test in round four against 12th seed Belinda Bencic, before a hypothetical quarter-final against Gauff.
There are question marks over the fourth seed heading into Miami, following her Indian Wells retirement, and the 21-year-old does not have the easiest draw here.
Gauff could face Elisabetta Cocciaretto — who beat her in Doha last month — in round two, and then has a potential fourth-round versus 14th seed Linda Noskova.
Noskova has been in incredibly solid form over the past six to nine months, and comes in fresh off a run to the Indian Wells last four.
Prediction: Noskova def Bencic
Fourth Quarter
Projected Q/F: (8) Mirra Andreeva vs (2) Iga Swiatek
Swiatek was the Miami Open champion back in 2022, but has been in patchy form throughout the opening weeks of the season.
The Pole could face a Miami rematch against 31st seed Alex Eala in round three, twelve months on from the Filipina’s stunning upset at this very event, and is then, much like in Indian Wells, expected to face 13th seed Karolina Muchova.
All that is expected to lead to a quarter-final against Andreeva, but much like Swiatek, the Russian hasn’t always been at her best in recent weeks.
Looking to bounce back from her early Indian Wells exit, Andreeva could face 32nd seed Marie Bouzkova in round three, before a blockbuster clash against tenth seed Victoria Mboko.
Mboko and Andreeva have split their two meetings this season, though the Canadian is perhaps the in-form player of this mini-section — and quarter as a whole.
Prediction: Mboko def Swiatek
Semi-final predictions
Rybakina def Sabalenka
Noskova def Mboko
Final prediction
Rybakina def Noskova
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