Organizers of the 2026 Miami Open have awarded wild cards to several players for the men's and women's singles draws. Notable recipients include seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and former US Open winner Sloane Stephens on the women's side, alongside rising talents like Moise Kouame and Darwin Blanch for the men. The tournament begins on March 17 in Miami Gardens.
The Miami Open presented by Itau, a combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event, has confirmed 13 wild cards for its 2026 edition, set to run from March 17 to 29 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
On the women's side, eight wild cards were granted. Venus Williams, a three-time Miami champion in 1998, 1999, and 2001, will make her 23rd appearance at the tournament. The 45-year-old American, who debuted in Miami in 1997, last played in 2024, losing in the first round to Diana Shnaider. She has yet to win a match in 2026 after five first-round defeats this season. Sloane Stephens, the 2018 Miami winner and 2017 US Open champion, also received a wild card; she is ranked No. 780 and continuing her comeback following a 2025 injury layoff.
Other women's wild cards went to Americans Ashlyn Krueger, Taylor Townsend, and Jennifer Brady. Krueger, 21, reached the Round of 16 last year with upsets over Elena Rybakina and Leylah Fernandez. Townsend, a recent Austin finalist, advanced to the third round via qualifying in the past two years, defeating Elise Mertens and Yulia Putintseva. Brady, a former Australian Open finalist, is making her fifth Miami appearance after returning to the tour in 2026 following a 2023 hiatus; she has no prior wins at the event.
Rising players include Lilli Tagger of Austria, the 2025 French Open girls' champion; Darja Vidmanova of Czechia, the 2025 NCAA singles champion; and Australia's Emerson Jones, a former junior No. 1.
For the men, five wild cards were awarded. French prospect Moise Kouame, 17, who turned professional after winning two ITF titles in France this year and qualifying for his ATP debut in Montpellier, will make his Masters 1000 main-draw debut. Japan's Rei Sakamoto, 19, earned a spot after qualifying for the 2025 Miami main draw. American Darwin Blanch, 18, returns after playing Miami and Madrid as a 16-year-old in 2024, where he faced Rafael Nadal. Martin Damm, 23, son of former player Martin Damm Sr., reached an ATP semi-final in February at Open Occitanie and received a wild card for Indian Wells. Chinese player Wu Yibing rounds out the men's list.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the defending champion.
