The 2025 edition of the Miami Open begins on Tuesday. Like the ongoing BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, most of the top ATP and WTA players will be in action, including WTA Finals champion Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz. Although the men’s and women’s entry lists are very strong, four players have already withdrawn from the tournament. Those players and their replacements are named in this article.
Four Players Withdraw From Miami Open
Which Players Have Withdrawn?
Jannik Sinner was forced to withdraw from the Miami Open because of his ongoing suspension from professional tennis. The ATP world No. 1 will be out until May 4th after settling his case with the World Anti-Doping Agency. Sinner tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open after being accidentally contaminated by his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing clostebol.
Barbora Krejcikova was the second player to withdraw from the Miami Open. She is still recovering from a back injury that has prevented her from competing since the 2024 WTA Finals. Last year’s Wimbledon champion managed the problem for a while before stepping away from the professional circuit to allow the injury to heal properly.
Marketa Vondrousova is another player who will not feature in Miami. The Czech missed all tournaments after Wimbledon in 2024 because of a shoulder injury that she had surgery for. Vondrousova returned at the start of this year, but the Olympic silver medalist announced she needed more time off and will be out for a few months.
Thanasi Kokkinakis was the fourth player to withdraw from the Miami Open. He had surgery for a pectoral injury that had been bothering him for several months. The 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles champion is not 100% confident that the procedure will work. However, he decided it was worth attempting to fix the issue.
Who Replaces Those Players on the Entry List?
Aleksandar Kovacevic takes Sinner’s place. The American battled Matteo Arnaldi in the opening round of the BNP Paribas Open but ultimately lost in three sets. His powerful and dangerous game can make higher-ranked opponents feel uncomfortable when it clicks.
Anna Blinkova replaces Krejcikova at the Miami Open. She will try to bounce back from two heavy defeats in her last two matches against Jessica Pegula at the ATX Open and McCartney Kessler at the BNP Paribas Open. Blinkova’s loss to Kessler in Indian Wells was her first opening-round loss in 2025.
Julia Grabher is on the entry list due to Vondrousova’s decision to withdraw. The Australian lost in the first round at the BNP Paribas Open to 17-year-old Iva Jovic. Grabher was close to victory in the second set but ultimately succumbed to a 6-2 5-7 0-6 defeat in California.
Rinky Hijikata replaces his fellow Australian Kokkinakis at the Miami Open. He got a good win against Alexander Shevchenko in Indian Wells before losing to Brandon Nakashima in the following round. The 24-year-old also played at the Phoenix Challenger this week, losing to Alexander Bublik in the round of 16.
Main Photo Credit: Ray Acevedo – USA TODAY Sports
