Eight-time champion Serena Williams is No. 1 seed

MIAMI – The Miami Open announced the women’s singles main draw tonight. Three-time defending champion Serena Williams is the tournament’s No. 1 for a record-setting seventh time.

The draw ceremony was hosted by Lacoste, the Miami Open’s official outfitter, at their store on Lincoln Road in South Beach and was attended by WTA players Dominika Cibulkova and Christina McHale.

McHale, who drew Misaki Doi in the first round, would face Williams in the second round with a win.

2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber is the No. 2 seed, followed by Agnieszka Radwanska, Garbine Muguruza, and Simona Halep, respectively. The draw set up a potential showdown between Radwanksa and Halep in the quarterfinals if both were to reach that round.

Carla Suarez Navarro, the 2015 Miami Open runner-up, is the No. 6 and three-time champion Venus Williams is the No. 10 seed. If Suarez Navarro hopes to play for the Butch Buchholz Championship Trophy for the second year in a row, she would first potentially face Muguruza in the quarterfinals. Victoria Azarenka, who today took home at the BNP Parisbas Open title in Indian Wells, is the No. 13 seed and could face Muguruza in the 4th Round.

To view the complete main draw please visit www.miamiopen.com

The most glamorous two-weeks of tennis will take place, March 21-April 3, at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami, Florida. With ticket packages starting at just $136 and individual session tickets starting at $31, fans can be close to the action for some of the best tennis in the world. For more information go to www.miamiopen.com or call the Miami Open ticket office at 305-442-3367.

About the Miami Open presented by Itaú

The 2016 Miami Open will be played March 21-April 3 at the Crandon Tennis Center in Miami. The two-week combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. The tournament is widely regarded as the most glamorous on the ATP and WTA calendars because of its exotic Miami location, thriving nightlife, five-star hotels and restaurants, beautiful weather and beaches, and its celebrity appeal. For ticket information, call +1.305.442.3367 or visit www.miamiopen.com.

About Itaú

Itau is the largest Latin America privately owned bank, with approximately 95,000 employees and operations in 20 countries throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Itaú’s relationship with sport goes back to the 1970s, when Itaú first sponsored the Itaú Tennis Cup in Brazil in 1970. Itaú has been a sponsor of the Miami Open for the last six years, and also sponsors the Rio Open, the only combined ATP/WTA event in South America. Itaú also supports the Brazilian Women’s Tennis Circuit, only female professional tournament in South America, certified by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), as well as the Tennis Institute Training Center, responsible for the development of young, new talent.

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion and media operating in more than 25 countries around the world. IMG’s businesses include Events Media, College, Golf, Tennis, Performance and IMG Academy, Fashion, Models, Clients, Licensing, Joint Ventures, and creative management agency Art + Commerce. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world’s leading entertainment and media agency. Together, the companies offer an unparalleled client roster; strategic partnerships with sponsors and brands; and marquee assets across sports, entertainment, events, music and fashion.