The Miami Open has announced its field with both defending champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams playing along with 76 of the top ranked men and 72 of the 73 top ranked women. The Miami Open is an ATP Masters 1000 event and a WTA Premier Mandatory event. The Miami Open will be held from March 21st to April 3rd.
ATP Player List
On the men's side, world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic will play at the Masters 1000 event along with Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, and Rafael Nadal. Federer did not play in Miami last year and has not played for a number of years due to a feud with IMG. That is the tournament's owner and the talent agency from which Federer left back in 2013.
Djokovic is the two-time defending champion and has won the event five times. Andy Murray, last year's finalist, has won the event two times. Those came in 2009 and 2013. Federer, who last played Miami in 2014, won the Masters 1000 event in 2005 and 2006. Nadal is a four-time finalist at the event, but has never won the prestigious Masters 1000 title. It is one of the few Masters events the Spaniard has not won along with Shanghai and Paris.
WTA Player List
On the women's side, world number one and eight time Miami Open champion Serena Williams will return to South Florida. Along with Serena, the tournament will also feature Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Venus Williams, and Caroline Wozniacki. The tournament boasts 72 of the top 73 women's players with only recently retired Flavia Penetta missing.
While Serena goes for her ninth Miami title, Maria Sharapova will be aiming to win her first Miami title. She has lost in the finals five times. Former world number one Victoria Azarenka is looking to win her third Miami title, after previously winning in 2009 and 2011. Serena's sister, Venus, will be going for her fourth Miami title. Venus won the title in 1998, 1999 and 2001.
The Return Of Juan Martin Del Potro
Former U.S. Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro will return at the Miami Open after a failed comeback in 2015 in Sydney and Miami. Del Potro, who had multiple wrist surgeries in 2014 and 2015, will first return at the ATP 250 event in Delray Beach. Del Potro had another serious injury layoff in 2010 after winning his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in 2009. He missed all of 2010 due to wrist surgery. Del Potro is ready to build his ranking back up and try to work his way back into the top ten.
What To Expect From The 2016 Miami Open
The 2016 Miami Open promises to be a thrilling event before the tours embark to Europe for the spring clay court season. Expect lots of high level tennis and drama this March in South Florida.