Line Calls, ATP Miami: Will Jannik Sinner or Daniil Medvedev keep Carlos Alcaraz from the Sunshine Double? 

Novak Djokovic won’t be playing this year’s Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., but it’s not like this tournament will be hurting for drama. Carlos Alcaraz made his return to the winner’s circle at Indian Wells, beating Jannik Sinner in the semifinals and Daniil Medvedev in the final. The Spaniard will now be looking for the Sunshine Double, and he knows exactly what it takes to win this event. Alcaraz won the Miami Open back in 2022, and these conditions definitely suit his game. However, Sinner will be eager to put the loss in the desert behind him, and he has been the best player in the world in 2024. And Medvedev is the defending champion here, so he will have something to say about all of that.

With those three players in the mix, combined with plenty of others that can potentially lift this trophy, we’re in for a great week in South Beach. Keep reading for some information you’ll want before betting on the event.

Last 5 Miami Open Champions

• 2018: John Isner
• 2019: Roger Federer
• 2020: Canceled (COVID-19)
• 2021: Hubert Hurkacz
• 2022: Carlos Alcaraz
• 2023: Daniil Medvedev

Miami Open Betting Odds (presented by FanDuel Sportsbook)

• Carlos Alcaraz (+150)
• Jannik Sinner (+175)
• Daniil Medvedev (+600)
• Alexander Zverev (+900)
• Alex De Minaur (+1400)
• Andrey Rublev (+1400)
• Holger Rune (+2400)
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (+2400)
• Grigor Dimitrov (+2400)
• Hubert Hurkacz (+2400)

(For the rest of the odds, head over to FanDuel Sportsbook)

Miami Open Conditions

This tournament is played on a Laykold Cushion Plus hard court, which is considered a Category 2 when it comes to ITF Court Pace Rating. That means that this tournament plays slow to medium in speed. But the conditions here are a little different than they are in Indian Wells. While this event also plays slower than your average hard court, the ball doesn’t bounce as high as it does in the desert. However, when the humidity is high, the ball can move slower through the air.

It should be noted that these conditions can be very uncomfortable when the temperature approaches the mid 80s. The 10-day forecast doesn’t call for many days like that. But if things change, make sure you’re taking a player that you know is in great shape.

Miami Open Players To Watch

• Carlos Alcaraz (+150): Alcaraz silenced some critics with his play in Indian Wells last week. Just when it was starting to look like Sinner was clearly ahead of him, the Spaniard went out and beat him on his way to winning his first title since Wimbledon. Alcaraz did it with an improved serve and a refined approach from the baseline—the latter is something people have been begging for. Now, Alcaraz looks like the player to beat again, but he did lose to Sinner here last year. Will he have an answer for Sinner’s power on lower-bouncing courts?
• Jannik Sinner (+175): Sinner doesn’t necessarily have to do anything this week. He’s 16-1 on the year and already has an Australian Open title to his name. However, the Italian is going to want to go out and win this after losing to Alcaraz in the desert. When Sinner beat Alcaraz in Miami last year, he was hitting powerful shots deep in the court, which didn’t give the Spaniard much time to make decisions. He’ll need some more of that if the two meet in the final this year.
• Daniil Medvedev (+600): Medvedev lost to Alcaraz in the BNP Paribas Open final for the second year in a row. But the reality is that just getting there again was extremely impressive for the Russian. Medvedev’s game is not a good fit for the courts in Indian Wells, but he should have a real shot at winning this week. The courts in Miami will make Medvedev’s flat strokes a little more dangerous, and his opponents won’t be able to get the ball up high on him. There’s a reason he won here last year, and he’ll feel good about going back-to-back.
• Sebastian Korda (+5000): Korda flashed some good form in two matches in Indian Wells. In the Round of 64, the American earned a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win over Roman Safiullin. Then, Korda lost a tight three-set match against Medvedev, and it really could have gone either way. Korda now looks like he might be able to start stringing together some wins, and his game is a decent fit for Miami. Korda is one of the cleanest ball strikers in the world, and his serve should be a little more effective in Miami than it was in Indian Wells. The only problem for Korda is that he’s in Alcaraz’s section of the draw. Just getting to that point would be a success, but keep in minf that Korda has a win over Alcaraz under his belt.