As the last major hard court tournament before clay season begins, the Miami Open has delivered compelling storylines across both draws, featuring breakthrough runs from teenagers and historic achievements from established greats.
Women’s Bracket: Eala Shines, Sabalenka Rebounds
The women’s tournament was defined by 19-year-old Filipino wildcard Alexandra Eala’s remarkable breakthrough. Ranked No. 140 entering Miami, Eala stunned three Grand Slam champions — Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek — becoming the first Filipino woman to defeat a Top 30 player. Her Cinderella run finally ended in the semifinals against Jessica Pegula, but not before pushing the American to three sets (7-6, 5-7, 6-3).
“Growing up it was tough. You didn’t have anyone from where you’re from to pave the way,” Eala reflected during her magical run that will propel her into the WTA top 100.
Meanwhile, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has found redemption after her Indian Wells and Australian Open disappointments, dispatching Jasmine Paolini 6–2, 6–2 to reach her fourth final of 2025. She’ll face Pegula for the championship, seeking her first trophy since Brisbane in January.
The tournament proved disappointing for Russia’s Mirra Andreeva, whose impressive 13-match winning streak — which included back-to-back titles in Dubai and Indian Wells — ended with a surprising third-round loss to American Amanda Anisimova.
Men’s Bracket: Youth vs. Experience
The men’s draw has produced a final that represents tennis’s generational divide. Novak Djokovic, at 37, has reached his 20th consecutive season with at least one tour-level final, equaling Roger Federer’s record. The Serbian legend defeated Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals and now hunts his 100th career title and record seventh Miami crown.
Across the net will stand 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik, whose dream run continued with a pulsating 7–6(4), 4–6, 7–6(4) semifinal victory over Taylor Fritz. Mensik, ranked No. 54, has become the first unseeded Miami finalist since 2007 and the first Czech in a Masters final since Tomas Berdych in 2015. Their final creates the largest age gap between Masters 1000 finalists in history: 18 years and 102 days.
Taylor Fritz impressed despite his semifinal exit, showing remarkable mental fortitude in his quarterfinal against Matteo Berrettini. The American squandered six match points in the second set before finally converting his seventh in a thrilling 7–5, 6–7(7), 7–5 victory.
As Sunday’s championship matches approach, they highlight tennis’s fascinating present: established champions are fighting to maintain dominance while a new generation continues to announce its arrival on the sport’s biggest stages.
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