Miami, March 18 – The Miami Open began with a delay due to rain, pushing back the start times for Wednesday's first-round matches.
Grigor Dimitrov, who previously ranked No. 3 in the ATP rankings, is among those competing in Wednesday's ATP Masters 1000 event against Raphael Collignon. Their match is scheduled for the second court.
The start times for matches on the Grandstand, Buchholz Court, and Court 1 have all been pushed back to not before 1 p.m. EDT.
This prestigious event is particularly important as both World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and second seed Jannik Sinner of Italy are competing, continuing their battle for the top spot. This event could be a crucial opportunity for both players to gain significant points.
Currently, Alcaraz leads Sinner by approximately 2000 points in the ATP rankings. However, Sinner's victory at the BNP Paribas Open allowed him to close the gap, earning him 1,000 points and reducing Alcaraz's lead from 2,800 to 2,150 points.
The focus now shifts to the Miami Open, where Sinner has an opportunity to build further momentum. Sinner did not compete in Florida in 2025, meaning he has no points to defend this fortnight, and every match he wins in Miami will directly add to his ranking total.
Alcaraz also has limited points to defend after a surprising opening-round defeat to David Goffin last year, leaving him with only 10 points to defend this fortnight. World No. 1 Alcaraz will be motivated to respond after Daniil Medvedev ended his perfect 16-0 start to the 2026 season in the Indian Wells semi-finals.
Miami also holds added significance for Alcaraz, who became the youngest champion in tournament history at the event in 2022, at the age of 18. This represents Alcaraz's best chance to extend his lead before the tournament moves to clay, where the 22-year-old faces a challenging defensive period.
Top seed Alcaraz leads the draw in the top half, and is scheduled to begin his event on Friday evening against Joao Fonseca or Fabian Marozsan, who are scheduled to play on Thursday. Alcaraz has never faced 19-year-old Brazilian Fonseca, who lost to Jannik Sinner in the fourth round in Indian Wells.
Second seed Sinner will start his event on Saturday against Damir Dzumhur or qualifier Ignacio Buse. The 24-year-old has a 19-3 record in Miami, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and has reached the final in three of his four appearances, winning the trophy in 2024, as reported on the ATP Tour website.
Sinner made history last week in Indian Wells, becoming the third — and youngest — man to complete the set of winning all six ATP Masters 1000 hard-court events, joining Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Miami is a key stop for them, as Alcaraz has 4,300 points to defend across the clay swing, including titles in Monte-Carlo, Rome, and Roland Garros, as well as a runner-up finish in Barcelona. Sinner, by contrast, has no points to defend until Rome, and then 1,850 points across the Italian Masters 1000 event and Roland Garros, giving him a window to challenge for the top spot in the coming weeks.
Even so, Sinner will aim to apply immediate pressure in Miami, where he has reached the final in three of his four appearances and won the trophy in 2024.
Alcaraz and Sinner are seeded first and second, respectively, in Miami and can only meet in the final. If this matchup occurs, it would mark the 17th chapter of their rivalry on the ATP tour.
If Alcaraz maintains or extends his advantage during the Miami Open, he will gain valuable breathing room before entering the most demanding part of his schedule. This would further solidify his position at the top while allowing him to build a lead in terms of weeks at No. 1. The Spaniard is set to match Sinner's 66-week milestone in early April, regardless of what happens in Florida.
Sinner, on the other hand, will be hoping to continue to chip away at Alcaraz's lead so that he can make a further dent in that at Wimbledon and during the hard-court season after the grass-court major.