Four men’s and eight women’s main draw wildcards were awarded for the 2016 Miami Open.
Fantastic Four
The four men’s main draw wildcards range from the ages of 18 to 21. A fairly young group of talented tennis players, their best tennis will be essential if they want to move deep into the draw because of the attendance of the top players at the Miami Open. Kyle Edmund, Andrey Rublev, Elias Ymer, and Nicolas Jarry will be given the chance of a lifetime playing in front of an electric crowd against the best tennis players on the ATP World Tour.
The 21 year-old Edmund currently holds a top 100 ranking. So far this year, the Brit has made two Challenger Tour finals and a quarterfinal showing in Doha. This will be Edmund’s third time playing in Miami, but he has never advanced past the first round. This year will be the third straight year he has been awarded with a wildcard into Miami and looks to go farther. He is currently ranked at his career-high of 82, and with a win or two his ranking would improve to a new career-high.
Andrey Rublev is making his second consecutive appearance at the Miami Open. Last year, the Russian was given a main draw wildcard and made it to the second round. He is fresh off a title victory on the Challenger Tour. The 18 year-old has potential to rise up the ranking if he handles his emotions and nerves on the court. The remaining two wildcards, Ymer and Jarry, will make their main draw debut at an ATP 1000 Masters event. The stage is set for these four young guns and will need the best tennis of their lives.
Familiar Faces
Headlining the women’s wildcards are Heather Watson, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Laura Robson, and Cici Bellis. Heather Watson is coming off her third career title in Monterrey. Although she is currently without a coach, she is on a six-match winning streak. Bethanie Mattek-Sands took three grand slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles in 2015, as well as winning a set off of Serena Williams last year. Her game is crafty and she can end points at the net. Laura Robson is on the road back to the WTA after a lengthy wrist injury. She is playing in Indian Wells as a wildcard and will continue her campaign to boost her ranking at the Miami Open. Cici Bellis is most well known for her win over Dominika Cibulkova in 2014. She has continued to play on the ITF Pro Circuit and has racked up many titles. Bellis looks to do better than her 2015 second round showing where she lost to Serena Williams in 2015.
Teenagers Look To Boost Careers
Naomi Osaka, Paula Badosa, Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Sofya Zhuk will round out the list of women’s widcards. These four teenagers have shown their brilliance on big stages. Naomi Osaka took the title at the 2015 WTA Rising Stars Exhibition in Singapore last year. Paula Badosa has many wins over top 100 opponents and a run to the third round last year at the Miami Open under her belt. Beatriz Haddad Maia has a WTA title of her own. She won the doubles title at last year’s Bogota. Sofya Zhuk was the junior winner at last year’s Wimbledon and was featured on TransWorldSports at the age of 13.
Expectations
The majority of this year’s Miami Open wildcards are young. With a good draw, at least one on each side should make it at least to the third round. They are playing high quality tennis and will be put to the test against high quality opponents. Expect to hear news on wildcards making deep runs.