Elena Rybakina will start the Miami Open 2024 as one of the favorites to win the title. The Kazakh star is currently ranked No.4 in the world and is in the bottom half of the women’s singles draw. Rybakina has been handed a rather kind draw at the Miami Open and the 24-year-old will be keen to make a mark in the tournament.
Rybakina will get a bye in the first round thanks to her seeding. In the second round, Rybakina will face one of the home hopefuls, Caroline Dolehide. The American will be supported by the vocal partisan crowd support and could cause an upset.
A win against Dolehide could make Rybakina play against Elise Mertens in the third round. In the Round of 16, there is a huge chance Elena Rybakina plays Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova.
While the draw till the fourth round is widely in favor of Rybakina, it is in the quarterfinals where her first true test is on the cards. Indian Wells 2024 finalist Maria Sakkari or the mercurial Jelena Ostapenko could be one of Rybakina’s opponents in the quarterfinals. Sakkari is expected to be a bigger threat than Ostapenko for Elena Rybakina and her title hopes in Miami.
In the Miami Open 2024 semifinals, it could be the wily Australian Open semi-finalist Qinwen Zheng or Aryna Sabalenka could be the potential opponents for Rybakina. Rybakina’s potential clash against Sabalenka would attract a lot of interest from the fans, if the latter is available to play in the tournament.
Unfortunately for Aryna Sabalenka, her partner Konstantin Koltsov passed away on Monday evening in Miami and no official statement has come from the player or her team regarding the news of his death or her participation in the competition. Sabalenka lives in Miami too, so it is a possibility that she plays to distract herself.
But if Elena Rybakina makes it to the final, she would face either World No.1 and Indian Wells 2024 winner Iga Swiatek or the American No.1 Coco Gauff. While the draw looks promising, Rybakina will have to be his best to claim a title win at the Miami Open 2024.
Elena Rybakina will be the fourth seed at the Miami Open. The Kazakh star started off the season in great style by winning tournaments in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi. However, the 24-year-old is now looking to get back in form before the clay season. Rybakina missed out on playing in Indian Wells due to suffering from gastrointestinal issues.
Here is the full draw for Elena Rybakina at the Miami Open –
First Round – Bye
Second Round – Caroline Dolehide
Third Round – Elise Mertens
Fourth Round – Veronika Kudermetova/Xinyu Wang
Quarter-Final – Maria Sakkari/Jelena Ostapenko
Semi-Final – Qinwen Zheng/Aryna Sabalenka
Final – Iga Swiatek/Coco Gauff
