Winner – Alexandra Eala
An obvious choice, the 19-year-old Filipino sensation stunned the field. Entering Miami with minimal WTA experience and a wildcard, she shocked Ostapenko (WTA #25), recent Australian Open champion Keys (WTA #5), and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek. Although she benefited from Badosa’s withdrawal, these were her first-ever wins against top-25 opponents. Her fairy-tale run ended in the semifinals against local favorite and eventual finalist Pegula (WTA #4). A graduate of the Rafa Nadal Academy—receiving her diploma from Nadal himself and Swiatek—Eala became the first Filipino to reach a Masters 1000 semifinal. This performance propelled her into the WTA top 100, landing at No. 75 as of March 31.
Loser – Coco Gauff
The American (WTA #3) had a strong start to 2025, but since her quarterfinal loss to Badosa at the Australian Open, her momentum has stalled. With just four wins in her last eight matches, her struggles continued at the Sunshine Double—exiting in the third round at both events (to Bencic and Linette). While these tournaments have never been her strongest (her best Indian Wells result is a semifinal, and she’s never gone past the fourth round in Miami), her loss in Florida was particularly rough, featuring 12 double faults and 45 unforced errors. Though her ranking remains secure with only 228 points to defend in April, Gauff must quickly regain confidence as she transitions to clay, starting with the Stuttgart Open.
Winner – Aryna Sabalenka
After her Indian Wells loss to Andreeva, the world No. 1 continued her dominance on hard courts. Miami was an extension of her nearly flawless season, following titles in Brisbane, finals at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, and early exits only in Doha and Dubai. Her commanding presence stems from a sustained momentum she has built over time on hard courts. However, challenges await her in upcoming clay events, particularly in Stuttgart (where she fell in the 2024 quarterfinals) and Rome (finalist last year). While she remains the hard-court queen, Sabalenka must fine-tune her clay game to extend her dominance.
Loser – Elena Rybakina
Miami was unkind to the Kazakh (WTA #10). In a broader context, Rybakina has won 12 of her 18 matches in 2025 (excluding United Cup). While not a disastrous record—she reached the semifinals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, losing to eventual champions Bencic and Andreeva—she has underperformed by her own high standards. The 2022 Wimbledon champion has struggled to match her peak form. After a coaching change and dealing with injuries, she will have to wait until the grass season to return to her preferred surface. Until then, she must find her rhythm on clay.
Winner – Jessica Pegula
The Miami finalist will have to wait longer for her breakthrough against Sabalenka. After defeats to the world No. 1 in the Cincinnati and US Open semifinals last year, Pegula once again failed to counter Sabalenka’s power. Notably, she managed to break Sabalenka’s serve four times in the final but failed to consolidate two of them, losing her own serve seven times. Nonetheless, she is climbing back into contention as a hard-court title favorite. Additionally, she will look to capitalize on Stuttgart and Madrid, where she did not compete last year.
