Jack Draper caught everyone by surprise when he won the Indian Wells Masters last weekend, beating the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune along the way. As a result, the British international rose to seventh in the updated ATP rankings, and he’ll aim for the same outcome here in the Miami Open. The 23-year-old will open his Sunshine Double bid this Saturday against either Roberto Bautista Agut or Jakub Mensik.
Alexander Zverev couldn’t capitalise on Jannik Sinner’s absence after an early exit in Indian Wells. The German international vows to bounce back in South Beach, and he’ll open his campaign against either Benjamin Bonzi or Jacob Fearnley. Meanwhile, Gael Monfils hit a unique old-man milestone with his first-round victory of the tournament.
Read about the latest Miami Open 2025 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Draper is brimming in confidence
Jack Draper won his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells, and the 23-year-old has the chance to join Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Jim Courier, Marcelo Rios, Michael Chang, and Andre Agassi as the only players to win both in the desert and at the Miami Open in the same season. He could also become only the second British international to win the men’s singles title in Miami, following two-time champion Andy Murray.
“There are a lot of amazing players in this draw,” Draper told Sky Sports. “Winning (at Indian Wells) makes me believe, I feel like I can beat anyone.”
“I feel I’ve been working towards this moment for a long time and believe I can do it, so I take it in my stride. I’m moving on here and looking forward to starting again and starting strong here. I feel healthy; physically good, mentally strong, and emotionally prepared to keep on going and putting in the work to be better,” he added.
Before this, Draper enjoyed a solid 2024 with his first two titles, the ATP 250 Stuttgart Open and the ATP 500 Vienna Open. However, injuries disrupted his progress. Now that he has improved his overall fitness, Draper is reaping the benefits of his hard work.
Winning the Sunshine Double is a tall order, but Draper has a favourable draw, according to the Miami Open 2025 odds. The first seeded player he could face is world no. 25 Alexei Popyrin, and Draper is in the same bracket as Alexander Zverev, who is currently out of form.
Zverev keen to bounce back
Alexander Zverev’s form has fallen off since the Australian Open last January. After losing to Jannik Sinner in the final, the German international never advanced past the quarter-finals in the next four tournaments, including a Round of 64 exit in the Indian Wells Masters. After suffering another setback against Tallon Griekspoor, Zverev acknowledged his poor form and vowed to do better in the next few tournaments, starting in the Miami Open.
“I have not been playing my best the past few weeks,” he admitted. “I started the season well in Australia, but I haven’t played my best tennis lately. I hope I can turn it around here and showcase some better tennis.”
“Miami is my favorite city in the United States. I genuinely love spending time here,” he added. “The conditions are probably more suited for me. The courts are a lot faster. It’s more humid, so the ball slows down in the air a bit more than in the desert.”
Zverev had been to the Miami Open final in 2018, losing to John Isner. Last season, he progressed to the semi-finals but lost to Grigor Dimitrov in a three-set thriller.
Monfils makes old-man history in South Beach
Gael Monfils made history on Wednesday by becoming the second-oldest man to win a match in the Miami Open after Jimmy Connors. Connors is the oldest man to win a match in South Beach, having done so at 39 in 1992.
The 38-year-old Frenchman secured a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over last year’s quarter-finalist Fabian Marozsan to reach the second round after one hour and 44 minutes. Monfils produced one of his finest performances by notching 38 winners and only having 18 unforced errors. The world no. 46 will next meet world no. 27 Jiri Lechecka in the Round of 64. He is in the same bracket as Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“I hit some different angles and showed I could run and anticipate,” Monfils told the media. “I made it hard (for him). I hit with a bit more depth in my shots and did not let him dictate and I think I did well.”
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