Scouting Report: Zverev, Alcaraz lead Miami field; Djokovic chases record seventh title

The ATP Tour moves on from Indian Wells to the second leg of the 2025 ‘Sunshine Double’, the Miami Open presented by Itau, where the world’s finest will chase ATP Masters 1000 success.

Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz lead the field at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, where Novak Djokovic will chase his record seventh Miami title. Meanwhile Indian Wells champion Jack Draper has the opportunity to complete the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch during the 2025 Miami Open presented by Itau.

1) Djokovic eyes record title haul: The fourth-seeded Serbian will attempt to revive his past dominance in Miami, where he is aiming to move clear of Andre Agassi by lifting the trophy for a record seventh time. Djokovic, who won all six of his Miami titles before the event changed venues to Hard Rock Stadium in 2019, aims to snap a three-match losing streak in his opener against Rinky Hijikata or Hamad Medjedovic.

2) Alcaraz seeks fast response: Having had his 16-match Indian Wells winning streak snapped by Jack Draper, Alcaraz heads to Miami aiming to bounce back quickly at the event where he won his maiden Masters 1000 crown in 2022. Currently 15-3 for the year, the 21-year-old Spaniard takes on David Goffin or Aleksandar Vukic first in pursuit of his second ATP Tour title of the year (Rotterdam). Alcaraz and Djokovic are in the same half of the draw.

3) Zverev leads field: Top seed Zverev will hope his big serve can exploit the historically fast-paced conditions in Miami, where he reached the championship match in 2018 and the semi-finals a year ago. The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who has gone 4-4 since he reached the final at January’s Australian Open, faces Benjamin Bonzi or a qualifier first in Miami as he tries to rediscover his best level.

4) ‘Sunshine Double’ for Draper? Following his BNP Paribas Open triumph, Jack Draper will compete as a Top 10 player for the first time in Miami. The new No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings is aiming to complete the illustrious ‘Sunshine Double’ — winning Indian Wells and Miami in the same year — by becoming just the second Briton to win the men’s singles title in Florida, after 2009 and 2013 champion Andy Murray.

5) Home hope Fritz: Taylor Fritz has won four of his eight ATP Tour titles in the United States, including two in Florida at the Delray Beach Open, but the home favourite has only reached the quarter-finals once in eight appearances in Miami. Fritz will be confident of improving on that record, despite some recent struggles for his best form. He will compete this year at a career-high No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

6) Former champ Medvedev: Daniil Medvedev showed signs of returning to his resilient best in Indian Wells, where his passionate celebration after edging Arthur Fils to reach the semi-finals in California was a timely reminder of his competitive spirit. Although the 29-year-old fell to Holger Rune in the last four in California, he will be confident of building on that run: Medvedev holds an 18-5 record in Miami and lifted the trophy there in 2023.

7) Top 10 stars at the ready: World No. 6 Casper Ruud reached his first Masters 1000 final in Miami in 2022, and the Norwegian arrives in Florida as the owner of a 10-3 record for 2025 that includes a championship-match appearance in Dallas. World No. 9 Andrey Rublev (Doha) and No. 10 Stefanos Tsitsipas (Dubai) each lifted ATP 500 crowns in February. Can either man carry that form from the Middle East to the hard courts of Miami?

8) #NextGenATP Fonseca set for Miami debut: Joao Fonseca extended his lead in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah by winning an ATP Challenger Tour 175 event on Sunday in Phoenix. As a result, the Brazilian will make his Miami debut at a career-high No. 60 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Home favourite Learner Tien, the man he defeated in the final at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, also makes his main-draw debut after appearing in qualifying in 2023.

9) Home trio chase Masters 1000 breakthrough: After Americans lifted the men’s singles title in 15 of the first 20 editions of the Miami Open presented by Itau, Andy Roddick (who won his second title in 2010) and John Isner (2018) are the only home favourites to have done so since 2004. In addition to Fritz, there are three other Top 20 Americans in the draw, all hoping to claim their maiden Masters 1000 crown: Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.

10) Arevalo/Pavic headline doubles field: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic lifted their first trophy of 2025 as the top seeds in Indian Wells, and the Salvadoran-Croatian pair again leads the field in Miami. Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten are the second seeds, while third seeds Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori chase their Tour-leading third title of the year.