After Juan Martin Del Potro’s thrilling BNP Paribas Open title in Indian Wells, focus shifts immediately to the season’s second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event where Roger Federer attempts to defend his Miami Open presented by Itau crown. Federer, the No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, heads the field where he is defending 1,000 ATP Rankings points from last season.

1) Final Edition at Crandon Park: This is the 32nd and final Miami Open at the Tennis Center of Crandon Park before the tournament relocates to the Hard Rock Stadium next year. Overall this is the 34th edition of the Miami Open.

2) Outstanding Field: There are 17 of the Top 20 players in the ATP Rankings competing in Miami, led by World No. 1 and reigning champion Roger Federer, who is a three-time overall winner. The other former champ in the field is six-time winner Novak Djokovic.

3) Fantastic Federer: Federer comes into Miami as World No. 1 for the first time since 2010 (and seventh time overall) in his 17th tournament appearance. Federer, who is 50-13 in Miami, is coming off a runner-up showing in Indian Wells where he suffered his first loss after a career-best 17-match winning streak to begin the season. Federer, who has been No. 1 a record 308 weeks (as of 26 March), will retain the top ranking if he reaches the quarter-finals.

4) Delpo Streak: Juan Martin del Potro comes into Miami with an 11-match winning streak after claiming his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, where he saved three match points against Federer. Del Potro is off to a career-best 17-3 start and is ranked No. 6, his highest since 24 February 2014 (No. 5). He has a 15-9 record in Miami with his best result the semi-finals in 2009.

5) Indian Wells, Miami Sweep: Since 1991, seven players have won the first two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events of the season (12 times) in Indian Wells and Miami. Djokovic has accomplished the feat four times (2011, 2014-16) Federer three times (2005-06, 2017) and once each by Andre Agassi (2001), Marcelo Rios (1998), Pete Sampras (1994), Michael Chang (1992) and Jim Courier (1991).

6) Djokovic Returns: Djokovic, who is co-Miami titles leader (six) with Agassi, returns after missing last year with an elbow injury. Djokovic won his first of a co-record (w/Nadal) 30 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in Miami in 2007. This is the Serb’s third event in 2018: Australian Open (4R), Indian Wells (bye, 2R).

7) Sweet 16: Spaniards David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco are appearing in their 16th straight Miami Open. Ferrer was a finalist in 2013 and Verdasco a quarter-finalist in 2009-10.

8) #NextGenATP Stars: There are six #NextGenATP stars in the Top 100 in the draw, led by No. 5 Alexander Zverev, No.34 Andrey Rublev, No. 46 Denis Shapovalov, No. 63 Frances Tiafoe, No. 70 Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 71 Taylor Fritz.

9) Wild Cards: There are wild cards from five countries: Marcos Baghdatis (CYP), Christopher Eubanks (USA), Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB), Nicola Kuhn (ESP) and Mikael Ymer (SWE).

10) Strong Doubles Field: The Top 4 squads in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings are in the draw, led by Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, winners of three titles and a 22-3 record on the season. No. 2 and four-time champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, make their 20th consecutive appearance. Third seeds are Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah with Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares seeded fourth.

Jack Sock readily admits his singles results in his first three months of 2018 aren’t quite living up to lofty expectations, considering the blistering run in which he finished last season. But the American No. 1 in the ATP Rankings may have found the spark to rediscover that form at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Despite a third-round exit to Feliciano Lopez in singles in Indian Wells, Sock teamed with good friend John Isner to claim their second title together on Sunday. The American duo downed countrymen Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan for the title and did not drop a set in four matches, becoming just the third duo to do so in the past 30 years.

“I think there’s a lot of truth to that for sure,” Sock said of doubles title boosting his confidence in singles. “I think it showed in the past in my career to play doubles when it fits my schedule, especially when you play with friends like that.

“This year has been pretty atrocious to me so far in singles but I’ve done the things I’ve needed to. I took the month off after Melbourne and got myself in the right playing shape and the right frame of mind.”

Sock reached the quarter-finals in Miami last year (l. to Nadal) having reached the semi-finals in Indian Wells the week prior (l. to Wawrinka). While he fell short of defending those Indian Wells points last week, Sock said he would draw on his doubles title and regroup to be ready for his fifth main draw appearance in Miami.

“Last week, I had a solid first round and then played Feliciano [Lopez] who played, I think he said, one of his best matches he can remember in a while. That’s tennis it can happen,” Sock said. “Anytime you’re playing for a trophy and another title can only help the confidence.”

Novak Djokovic’s right elbow is pain-free for the first time in years.

The Serbian, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said he’s played without pain for the past “two days”. The former World No. 1 has been bothered by discomfort in his right elbow for the past two years. The injury led Djokovic to take off the final four months of the 2017 season, and he underwent surgery on the elbow in February.

“The last few days have been the first days in long, long time that I could actually focus on the game rather than have something in my mind always worried whether I’m going to have pain or not, and usually it happened,” Djokovic said on Tuesday during his pre-tournament press conference at the Miami Open presented by Itau. “It’s quite refreshing because everything else was pain involved.”

The Serbian has played only five matches this season (3-2), a strong contrast from years past when he arrived at the season’s second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. Five previous times Djokovic had landed in South Florida chasing the “Sunshine Double”, and he pulled off the March sweep a record four times.

There will be no “Sunshine Double” for Djokovic this year. The Serbian lost to Japan’s Taro Daniel in the second round at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

But the 30-year-old still has a chance at history. The six-time champion (2007, 2011, 2012, 2014-’16) is tied with coach Andre Agassi for the all-time titles lead. Djokovic is also tied with Rafael Nadal for the all-time Masters 1000 titles lead at 30. This is the 32^nd and final year the tournament will be held at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne before relocating to Hard Rock Stadium next year.

“This year is a special year for this tournament because it’s the last year on Key Biscayne. So we’re going to all try to enjoy it, and take the best out of it,” Djokovic said.

“For me, obviously approaching the tournament this year is quite different than any other year because of what I’ve been through with my elbow and everything. I don’t have expectations really.”

The Serbian said he’s not thinking about how he’d perform against Roger Federer, his rival who has reclaimed No. 1 in the ATP Rankings and reached the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday (l. to Del Potro). For now, Djokovic is focused on simpler things, such as playing at 100 per cent again.

“I’m not yet at my best but I’m working to get there. Every day is a process for me and is an opportunity to learn, to grow, to get better. Obviously the two years of an injury and trying to figure out ways how to play pain-free, which I wasn’t able to a lot of times in the last couple years, were compromising my game,” Djokovic said.

“Right now I’m not playing with the pain, which is the most important thing, and I can actually start focusing on the game rather than thinking about whether the pain is going to reappear or not.”

Only Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal stand above him in the ATP Rankings, but for Marin Cilic, being the World No. 3 is not enough. With 17 ATP World Tour titles, including the 2014 US Open, the Croatian makes no secret of what he wants this season.

He starts his 10^th Miami Open presented by Itau campaign as the No. 2 seed and will face either #NextGenATP American Taylor Fritz or Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert after a first-round bye. In the tournament’s last year at its Key Biscayne site, Cilic would love nothing more than a deep run on the hard courts where big points are on offer after losing his opening match here last year (l. to Chardy).

“The conditions here are always very difficult, maybe one of the most difficult conditions we have on tour,” said Cilic, whose lone quarter-final in Miami came in 2013 (l. to Murray), when he defeated John Isner and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route.

“You can get the heat, the humidity, those cooler nights so you have to be ready for everything. It’s also the end of the hard-court season that we are approaching so that’s also a part of my motivation to do quite well.”

Cilic appeared in his eighth season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in November and finished the season at No. 6 in the ATP Rankings. After failing to win a match at the group stage, he returned to Australia inspired and he delivered.

“I started great this season, opened it the best ever with the final at the Australian Open,” he said of his five-set defeat to defending champion Federer in the decider. “That perspective just gives my mind a good and stable strategy for moving forward in 2018. I didn’t finish 2017 the way I wanted.

“Obviously I finished at No. 6, which is still amazing, second year in a row. But still I want to push myself to be improving and getting better and obviously that means getting higher in the rankings. Hopefully this season can give me a lot of great results and hopefully another Grand Slam title as well.”

Two Grand Slam finals in six months gave the 29-year-old the cause to believe bigger things were still to come in 2018. “I don’t put myself under pressure every time. I’m trying to improve as much as I can,” he said.

“Things need to click as well to win a Grand Slam… But it’s nothing urgent. I’m definitely enjoying where I am at the moment and hopefully with my improvements and good results that’s going to happen.”