Miami Open Approaches: Five Chinese Players in Main Draw, Can Zheng Qinwen Defend Her Quarterfinal Points?

As the Indian Wells tournament concludes, the second ATP and WTA 1000 combined event of the year, the Miami Open, will commence next week, sustaining the fervor and glamour of the Sunshine Double. Compared to Indian Wells, the Chinese contingent at this year's Miami Open is larger: in men's singles, two players have entered the main draw, with Zhang Zhizhen using a protected ranking and Wu Yibing receiving a main draw wildcard for the second consecutive year. In women's singles, Zheng Qinwen, Wang Xinyu, and Zhang Shuai have directly qualified for the main draw. Bu Yunchaokete and Yuan Yue will start from the qualifying rounds, striving to break through.

Zhang Zhizhen

Wu Yibing

Both Zheng Qinwen and Wang Xinyu have secured seeded positions at this year's Miami Open. Looking back at last year's results, Zheng Qinwen reached the quarterfinals here, ultimately losing to Sabalenka; Wang Xinyu fell in the first round to Kudermetova, and her best performance at this event was reaching the third round in 2024. This year, Wang Xinyu will enjoy a first-round bye for the first time in Miami. Both Chinese players exited in their opening matches at Indian Wells. With more thorough adjustment and preparation, we hope they can regain their form and achieve a rebound in Miami.

Zheng Qinwen

Wang Xinyu

Zhang Shuai

Zhang Shuai will continue to compete in women's doubles with her Australian Open-winning partner Mertens. The long-standing Chinese duo Xu Yifan/Yang Zhaoxuan have split for this event; Xu Yifan will pair with compatriot Jiang Xinyu, while Yang Zhaoxuan's partner is Japanese player Kato Miu.

All top ten men's and women's world players have entered, including 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. The men's singles defending champion is Czech youngster Mensik, currently ranked world No. 12, who defeated Djokovic in the final last year to win his first Masters title, becoming the first player in tournament history to win the title in his first main draw appearance.

Mensik Defeats Djokovic to Claim First Masters Title

Both Alcaraz and Sinner have won titles here; the Spaniard captured his first Masters crown at Miami in 2022, while Sinner, with four appearances, boasts an impressive 19-3 record, reaching the final three times and winning in 2024. 38-year-old Djokovic is a six-time champion of the event, tying Andre Agassi for the most titles in history. Former champions Medvedev and Hurkacz are also in the lineup.

Defending Champion Sabalenka

In women's singles, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will return as the defending champion, having defeated Pegula in last year's final. Former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova is the only female player entering via a protected ranking. Another notable player is 20-year-old Filipino rising star Eala, who made a name for herself here last year by defeating top-ten players Swiatek and Keys, eventually losing to Pegula in the semifinals. Can she defend her semifinal points this year? Let's wait and see. Additionally, former champions Venus Williams and Stephens, as well as former Australian Open finalist Brady, have received main draw wildcards.

Indian Wells is entering its final stages. Whether players who advanced deep there will withdraw from Miami remains unknown. The main draw of this year's Miami Open begins on March 17, with qualifying starting on March 15. The women's and men's singles finals are scheduled for March 28 and 29 respectively.

Click to View Entry List https://www.miamiopen.com/tournament/players/

（Text, Editor/Wang Fei, Image/Visual China）