Four unseeded stars could be dangerous opponents at the Miami Open
03.19.26
By Harvey Fialkov / Staff writer
MIAMI GARDENS — Four well-established stars on the ATP Tour are flying under the radar at the Miami Open this year.
They’re known as dangerous floaters.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, 27, a Top 10 tenant from March 2019 to April 2024 with 12 titles and final appearances in the 2024 Australian Open and the 2021 French Open, has tumbled to No. 51.
On Thursday the 6-foot-4 Greek dispatched British qualifier Arthur Fery, 6-1, 7-6 (4) to set up a second-round match with Aussie Alex de Minaur, the sixth seed, who Tsitsipas is 11-1 against.
“I have nothing to lose,’’ said Tsitsipas, who reached the quarterfinals of Doha last month, with a second-round win over a red-hot Daniil Medvedev. “I’m not seeded anymore. I’m mainly chasing right now, chasing to get back the rank that I feel I deserve. I feel if there is pressure, it’s for the guys that are up there who maybe I get to play in the early rounds.
“It could be tougher for them than it is for me. I have nothing to lose. Go out there, play my game and enjoy it. … That’s part of the process and I can do nothing about it. I have to get my [bleep] together and make it happen.”
Matteo Berrettini, 29, known for his huge serve, 10 titles and a final in the 2021 Wimbledon, was ranked in the Top 10 from October 2019 to June 2022 before a plethora of injuries derailed his career. His most recent successful tournament came in Miami last year when he reached the quarterfinals and lost a sensational match to Taylor Fritz, 7-5, 6-7, 7-5.
Italy’s Matteo Berrettini begins his comeback at the Miami Open with a first-round victory over Alexandre Muller.
Berrettini, ranked No. 68, rolled past France’s Alexandre Muller, 6-4, 6-2, and next plays Alexander Bublik, who is enjoying a resurgence that saw him reach the Top 10 for the first time this year. He has dropped to No. 11 but is seeded 10th here.
“I got to say, if you look at Jannik [Sinner] and Lorenzo Musetti, they’re also good-looking guys,’’ Berrettini said with a smile. “And I think that helps. We are basically every week on TV.”
Marin Cilic, 37, another scary opponent in the draw, who was ranked No. 3 in 2018 with 21 titles on his resume that includes the 2014 US Open championship, defeated Aussie Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-4.
NOTES
*Berrettini was asked why Italian men are so into fashion and often grace magazine covers. “I got to say, if you look at Jannik [Sinner] and Lorenzo Musetti, they’re also good-looking guys,’’ Berrettini said with a smile. “And I think that helps. We are basically every week on TV.”
*Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest Miami Open champion in tournament history, winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in 2022 at 18. Since his surprising opening round loss to David Goffin in last year’s Miami Open, Alcaraz has gone 34-1 on outdoor hard courts, with his lone loss coming to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of Indian Wells last week.
*Alexander Zverev reached the semis at Indian Wells last week, joining Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray as the only men to reach the semis off all nine Masters 1000 events. He has won seven Masters titles. The 6-foot-6 German reached the Miami semis in 2024 and final in 2018, falling to John Isner, the last American champ here.
*Since the WTA added the 1000-level events in 2009, Canadian teen Victoria Mboko was the lowest-ranked player at No. 89 to win one when she captured the Montreal tournament last year.
*Mboko, 19, joined Russian Mirra Andreeva (18) in the Top 10 at No. 9 and 10 respectively, marking the first time two teens were ranked in the Top 10 since July 27, 2009 when 19-year-olds No. 8 Victoria Azarenka and No. 9 Carolina Wozniacki did it.
*When this tournament ends, Aryna Sabalenka will have been ranked No. 1 for 75 consecutive weeks and 83 overall, dating back to Sept. 11, 2023, the 11th longest reign in the Open Era.
*Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, ranked a career-high No. 8, leads the WTA Tour in match wins (19-4).
*Taylor Fritz, seeded sixth, leads a contingent of 16 Americans in the draw. The last all-American final in any Masters 1000 event was in Cincinnati inn 2003, featuring high school pals Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish.
*The last all-American Miami women’s final was back in 2003 when Serena Williams defeated Jennifer Capriati for one of her tournament-record (male and female) eight titles.
World No.3 Alexander Zverev, shown here during his semifinal run at the Miami Open last year. It was his ninth ATP Masters 1000 semifinal.
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About the Miami Open presented by Itaú
The 2026 Miami Open presented by Itaú will be played March 15 – March 29 at Hard Rock Stadium. The 15-day event is owned and operated by MARI and Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a WTA 1000 event on the WTA calendar, and annually hosts the world’s best players, with recent champions including the top players in each tour’s rankings – Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. In 2025, the tournament attracted more than 400,000 spectators over its 15 days at Hard Rock Stadium. Widely regarded as the most glamorous stop on the ATP and WTA calendars, the Miami Open is defined by the city’s vibrant culture, nightlife, five-star dining and hospitality, iconic beaches, and celebrity appeal, along with its close proximity to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.
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The largest bank in Latin America, Itaú Unibanco operates in 18 countries and serves more than 70 million customers, including individuals and companies across a wide range of segments. With the purpose of strengthening financial well-being, the bank supports customers at different stages of life by offering solutions tailored to their needs, as well as innovation and information that encourage more conscious decision-making and a healthier relationship with money.
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