Miami Tournament | Halep returns, Swiatek and Alcaraz arrive launched

(Miami) The Romanian Simona Halep, after a long suspension, makes her comeback at the Masters 1000 in Miami, which begins Tuesday, where Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz arrive after their title at Indian Wells.

Halep, the return

The announcement caused a sensation two weeks ago: the ex-N. 1 Simona Halep has had her suspension for two anti-doping offenses reduced from four years to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The 32-year-old player, double Grand Slam winner (Roland-Garros 2018 and Wimbledon 2019), was thus invited to Miami, her sentence having been served.

However, in what form is the Romanian, who has not played since a defeat in the first round of the United States Open at the end of August 2022?

“The stress she went through is hard to imagine. I don’t know how she managed her workouts, I know she was doing blocks, but there’s a lot of vagueness. If she accepted the “wild card” in Miami, it is because she feels ready to come back at least physically,” said Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia.

Simona Halep will play her first round on Tuesday or Wednesday against the Spaniard Paula Badosa (82^e world) before a possible shock in the second round against the world No.2, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.

Djokovic and Nadal absent

Released from his second match at Indian Wells last week, world No.1 Novak Djokovic immediately announced that he would skip Miami, a tournament he has won six times, but where he has not played since. 2019, he who has long been banned from American territory for lack of vaccination against COVID-19.

The 36-year-old Serbian admitted to wanting to be more “selective” this season, while he is primarily aiming for the Grand Slams and the Olympic Games in Paris (July 26-August 11). In any case, he will remain world No.1 at the end of the tournament.

Another sacred monster of tennis, the Spaniard Rafael Nadal will not line up in Florida either, after having withdrawn from Indian Wells at the last moment, not considering himself ready, after an almost blank year in 2023 and an operation on the hip.

The Majorcan is looking to get back on his feet for a probable final season and is now targeting the clay court of Monte-Carlo (April 7-14), in order to best prepare for Roland-Garros (May 20-June 9), and a possible participation in the Olympics.

Swiatek and Alcaraz launched

The Polish Iga Swiatek, world No.1, and the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, No.2 among men, arrive in Miami crowned with their title at Indian Wells.

Swiatek, patron of the circuit for two years, was uncompromising in California, notably in the final against the Greek Maria Sakkari. She has already won Miami in 2022.

Alcaraz overcame his “doubts” with a first trophy since Wimbledon in 2023 and is also eyeing a second title in Florida after 2022.

“Winning tournaments helps me a lot and this result gives me a boost of confidence for Miami,” he said on Sunday after his victory in the final against Russian Daniil Medvedev.

The winners: Kvitova on break, Medvedev in form

Finalist in Indian Wells, Medvedev is also the defending champion in Florida, where he beat Italian Jannik Sinner in the final last year.

Among the women, the defending champion, the Czech Petra Kvitova, 34, has put her career on hold since the end of last year and is expecting a child.