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The dust has barely settled since the conclusion of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the tour has already moved on to the next big event in Miami.
Iga Swiatek triumphed at Indian Wells for her second consecutive WTA 1000 title. The 2020 Roland Garros champion will look to make it three in a row in Miami. Serena Williams was the last player to win three WTA 1000 titles consecutively, which she did in 2013.
Simona Halep is also having a great season and is on the hunt for her first title in Miami. Maria Sakkari and Paula Badosa are other favorites to win the title in the American city.
Anett Kontaveit and Jelena Ostapenko will look to bounce back after their disappointing results in Indian Wells, while 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins will return to action following an injury break.
Here are the five women who are the favorites to win the Miami Open:
#5 Anett Kontaveit
Anett Kontaveit has carried her spectacular form from 2021 into 2022. She started the year by reaching the semifinals of the Sydney Tennis Classic, but was knocked out in the second round of the Australian Open by Clara Tauson.
Kontaveit got her season back on track by winning the title in St. Petersburg and reaching the final in Qatar. She was expected to do well at Indian Wells, but lost a close three-set match against 2019 Roland Garros finalist Marketa Vondrousova in the third round.
Kontaveit hasn't had two bad tournaments in a row in a long time, so she will fancy her chances at the Miami Open. She's a former semifinalist at the tournament, so she knows what it takes to go deep.
#4 Paula Badosa
Paula Badosa started the year on a sour note, losing her very first match to Victoria Azarenka in Adelaide. She bounced back by winning the title in Sydney the following week.
At the Australian Open, Badosa made it to the fourth round for the first time. The Middle East swing was disappointing for the Spaniard, as she made early exits in Dubai and Qatar.
Badosa returned to Indian Wells as the defending champion and made it to the semifinals, where she lost to Maria Sakkari. With some momentum on her side, she looks primed to do well at the Miami Open.
Badosa's record in the tournament isn't stellar, with just three wins in four appearances. But the Spaniard is a different player now and has it in her to excel on the biggest stages of tennis.
#3 Maria Sakkari
Maria Sakkari is having a fantastic year. She started off slow as she lost in the second round in Adelaide. But she performed better at the Australian Open, reaching the fourth round for the second time, before losing to Jessica Pegula.
Sakkari was the runner-up to Anett Kontaveit in St. Petersburg. She then lost in the semifinals of the Qatar Open to Iga Swiatek. At Indian Wells, she reached the biggest final of her career so far, but lost to Swiatek yet again. Nevertheless, she has reached a career-high ranking of World No. 3 with her recent results.
Sakkari was a semifinalist at the Miami Open last year. En route to the last four, she snapped Naomi Osaka's 23-match winning streak in the quarterfinals.
She has gone toe-to-toe with the best players on tour, but has fallen just short of tasting success with multiple finals losses. Perhaps this time the outcome could be different for her.
#2 Simona Halep
Simona Halep has played some of her best tennis this year. She started the year by winning her 23rd career title at the Melbourne Summer Set. At the Australian Open, she made it to the fourth round, but lost to an inspired Alize Cornet in three sets.
The Romanian made it to the semifinals in Dubai, but lost to an in-form Jelena Ostapenko. An opening-round exit to Caroline Garcia in Qatar remains the only blemish on an otherwise brilliant season so far.
Halep reached the semifinals of the Indian Wells Open, but went down to eventual winner Iga Swiatek.
The former World No. 1 has enjoyed considerable success at the Miami Open, making it to the semifinals on two occasions. With her form this year, it won't be surprising to see her go all the way.
#1 Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek is the clear frontrunner to lift the Miami Open trophy. She started the year by reaching the semifinals of the Adelaide International and the Australian Open. An early loss in Dubai to Jelena Ostapenko is the only dent on her resume this year.
Swiatek then won the first WTA 1000 title of the year in Qatar. En route to the title, she defeated three top-10 players. The 2020 Roland Garros champion continued her strong showing at Indian Wells, winning her second consecutive WTA 1000 title.
Swiatek is now on a 11-match winning streak and has reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2. Winning the Miami Open will put her within striking distance of replacing Ashleigh Barty at the top of the rankings.
Swiatek is on a rampage at the moment and it doesn't seem like anyone is capable of stopping her.
