Tennis: ATP 1000 Miami kicks off.

With the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells over, the tour moves to the east coast of the United States for the Miami Open. On the hard courts of the Hard Rock Stadium, the race for the heir of Jannik Sinner begins, who triumphed in Florida a year ago but who, due to the suspension related to the Clostebol case, will not be able to defend the title he won against Grigor Dimitrov.

Title favourites: Alcaraz, Zverev and Djokovic ready for the challenge

With Sinner out, the competition looks set to be very open. Among the main contenders is Carlos Alcaraz, already champion here in 2022 and fresh from the semifinal in Indian Wells. The Spaniard will be among the most anticipated, but leading the seeding will be Alexander Zverev, determined to redeem himself after his early exit at Indian Wells at the hands of Tallon Griekspoor. Also to watch Novak Djokovic, six-time winner in Miami and eager to return to success in a tournament he has often dominated. Among the expected protagonists are also Jack Draper, winner in Indian Wells after the final with Holger Rune, and Daniil Medvedev, champion in Miami in 2023.

Italy present with eight Azzurri 

Without Sinner, Italian tennis will still have a significant presence in the main draw, with eight players ready to take to the field. Among them, Lorenzo Mustetti (seeded #15) and Matteo Berrettini (n. 29) will enter directly into the second round. In addition to them, there will be Matteo Arnaldi, Lorenzo Sonego, Flavio Cobolli, Luciano Darderi e Mattia Bellucci. Great attention on Federico China, 17-year-old from Palermo and son of Roberta Vinci's historic coach, who received a wild card for the tournament. Cinà, who entered the top 500 thanks to the final at the Challenger in Crete, arrives in Miami with a positive seasonal balance: nine victories and only one knockout. Luca Nardi and Stefano Napolitano, instead, will be busy with the qualifications to try for a place in the main draw.

Women's Tournament: Eyes on Andreeva and Sabalenka

In the women's draw, the Miami Open confirms itself as an event with an uncertain outcome. After the domination of Serena Williams Between 2013 and 2015, seven different players have won the title in the last eight editions. Defending champion Danielle Collins will try to defend the trophy, but all eyes are on Mirra Andreeva, fresh from her successes in Dubai and Indian Wells and with a streak of twelve consecutive victories. The 17-year-old Russian will be one of the favourites, together with the world number one Aryna Sabalenka, which however never reached the final in Miami. For Italy, Jasmin Paolini will try to reverse the negative trend on this cement, where in her career she has won only one match and has never gone beyond the third round. Also present are Lucia Bronzetti and Elisabetta Cocciaretto

The calendar

The women's tournament will start today, March 18, while the men's will start tomorrow, March 19. The women's singles final is scheduled for Saturday 29 March, while the men's singles is scheduled for Sunday 30 March. All television coverage of the event is exclusive to Sky Sport, while live streaming will be available on NOW.