Medvedev, Alcaraz, and Sinner battle for records at the Miami Open

by Daniel Perisse

Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner – it’s hard not to relate them with the best men’s tennis has to offer now. The trio’s next stop will be at the 2024 Miami Open, where they seek to make history in the Magic City.

For the Spaniard, currently sitting at World No.2, it will be the chance to become the first player to win the Sunshine Double since Roger Federer in 2017. On Sunday, he defeated Medvedev 7-6(5), 6-1 in Indian Wells and will get another shot at what only seven male players have done in tennis history.

Seeded No. 1 in the draw, Alcaraz will face countryman Roberto Carballes Baena or Australian Aleksandar Vukic in his opening match.

Speaking of history, Medvedev arrives at the Magic City aiming to be the first man to defend his singles title since Novak Djokovic in 2016. However, to reach his second final at the Hard Rock Stadium he must prevail over No.2 seed Sinner in a possible semifinal clash, in a rematch of last year’s decider here.

This was the last time Medvedev defeated Sinner – the Italian has won all four matches since, including the 2024 Australian Open final, in which he came back from two sets down to grab his first Grand Slam trophy.

Sinner plays against the winner of Spaniard Pedro Cachin and a qualifier and has in his way a possible fourth-round match against Camden County, N.J native Tommy Paul, the second-best American seed in the draw and a semifinalist at Indian Wells last week.

Sinner played his first 1000-level final in Miami – and the first of the Itlalian’s career –in 2021, falling against Poland’s Hubert Hukacz.

On his turn, Medvedev appears as the No. 3 seed and waits for Max Purcell from Australia or Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.

A Miami Open runner-up in 2018, Germany’s Alexander Zverev is the No. 4 seed and will face Felix Auger-Aliassime, from Canada, or a qualifier in his first match.

Two Florida residents to watch are Taylor Fritz, seeded as No. 12, and former Florida Gator Ben Shelton, as the No. 16 seed. Shelton is on Alcaraz’s section of the draw and could face him in the fourth round.

Fritz, a Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., native, waits for Australian Jordan Thompson, who won at Los Cabos, or Nuno Borges from Portugal, who just won his second straight title at the Arizona Challenger last week.

Between the non-seeded players, one of the best first-round matches will feature two-time Miami Open champion and former World No. 1 Andy Murray and Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, who was ranked World’s No.6 in January 2022 and is a former Wimbledon finalist.

Another player in the main draw is Japan’s Kei Nishikori. The former World No. 4, Olympic bronze medalist and finalist at the 2014 US Open was granted a wild card and plays against Sebastian Ofner from Austria. Whoever wins will take on Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo, the No. 20 seed.

The main draw first-round matches can get even more interesting, as three former ATP Top 10 players are part of the qualifying.

The Men’s Singles main draw begins on Wednesday at 11 am. Download the order of play for tomorrow and get your grounds pass tickets here.