The stars of the ATP Tour and the Hologic WTA Tour are used to competing against each other, but on Tuesday they came together in a big way in Miami.

The world’s best tennis players ventured into the wider South Florida community for the second edition of Miami Open Unites, a series of events held throughout the day in which athletes competing in the Miami Open presented by Itau supported those in need, inspired the next generation and more.

Andy Murray, Frances Tiafoe, Sania Mirza and Jessica Pegula visited Moore Park Tennis Centre, which was founded by Arthur Ashe and Butch Buchholz, to participate in a clinic put on by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami and answer questions from the kids.

“I think it’s so important. You see kids here from all different backgrounds just enjoying picking up tennis racquets. Some are playing for the first time and that’s ultimately what we want to do,” Murray said. “We want to try and give back to our sport a little bit and inspire some kids to take up tennis.”

Pegula was touched by hearing from some of the kids and learning how the programme has been able to improve the lives of many kids in the area.

“It was pretty incredible to hear some of the stories of some of the partnerships that they’ve done, and matching kids with mentors and Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and how some of them have even gone on and been professional athletes just like us. It’s really special and just kind of humbling,” Pegula said. “It’s really super important. It’s the reason why I think we all are happy to be here, to do this, to give back to the community that is putting on the event.”

^{Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}
Elsewhere, Fabio Fognini, Casper Ruud and Simona Halep helped Rebuilding Together, which repairs and rebuilds housing for senior citizens and veterans, while Jannik Sinner and Sloane Stephens joined the Miami Open team for a donation to Dress For Success, a not-for-profit organisation that provides women a network of support, professional attire and more.

Matteo Berrettini, Denis Shapovalov and Belinda Bencic, all big fans of dogs, went to the Humane Society of Greater Miami to help groom some lost and forgotten animals from South Florida. The ultimate goal of the centre is to help prepare the animals for adoption.

“Today we are at the dog shelter, we are making dog baths and I think it’s very nice,” Bencic said. “For me this one suits the most. I really love dogs and I also have a dog from a dog shelter, actually. So that’s why I think this one is best for me, but I really like the whole idea of this initiative.”

^{Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}
Another activity saw Carlos Alcaraz, Pablo Carreno Busta, Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur spend time at the Miami Rescue Mission to feed those in need of meals. Roberto Bautista Agut, Reilly Opelka and Samantha Stosur travelled to Liberty City to assist Health in the Hood by planting seeds in a vegetable garden, which will turn into produce that is distributed for free to those in need.

In the final event of the day, Diego Schwartzman, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alize Cornet and Karolina Pliskova took a trip to Miami Beach to clean up garbage. They even had a fun little competition among themselves to see who would pick up the most trash.

“Making every single day count,” Tsitsipas said. “[It is about] sustainability and trying to save our planet and make it a better place to live.”

Tennis players serve every day on the tennis court. But on Tuesday, Carlos Alcaraz led a quartet of ATP Tour and WTA Tour stars in serving food for the needy as part of Miami Open Unites.

Alcaraz, Pablo Carreno Busta, Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur served lunch at the Miami Rescue Mission, which has existed for 100 years. The Mission provides food, shelter and programmes to guests in South Florida.

“It was pretty amazing. I’m so happy to be able to help,” Alcaraz said. “It’s good to do different things than tennis, so I’m really happy.”

One year ago on his Miami Open presented by Itau debut, Alcaraz was No. 132 in the ATP Rankings and still breaking onto the ATP Tour. Now the reigning Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion is a career-high World No. 16 and one of the tournament favourites in Miami.

Last week, the 18-year-old made the BNP Paribas Open semi-finals and pushed Rafael Nadal in a thrilling three-set semi-final. Alcaraz is excited to be back in Miami and continue his ascent.

“It’s amazing. I watched this tournament since I was a kid. It’s a pretty good tournament,” Alcaraz said. “Last year with the pandemic and Covid, it was a little bit different. But this year for sure it’s going to be a different year, different tournament. I’m really happy to be able to play here in Miami.”

^{Photo Credit: Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour}
The tennis stars served a lunch of meat, rice, beans and plantains. Carreno Busta ensured that all guests received a drink to go with their meal.

“We had the opportunity to do this kind of activity and are [happy] to be here,” Carreno Busta said. “This is our work also, so I think that we want to help as soon as we can and this activity is very important to these people [so they can] have lunch, to have dinner. I appreciate being here.”

This was Badosa’s first visit to an activity like this. The Spaniard called it a “very nice experience”.

“The people were very nice here. For me it’s very nice to do these kind of activities,” Badosa said. “I think it’s a part of our job as well to help each other. It’s very important and for me it’s very special to be here because I’m really a person that likes to help.”

Jabeur added that this was a reminder of how important it is to give back as soon as possible. The Tunisian hopes to do it more often.

“I’ve loved helping people from a very young age and as soon as I have the opportunity to, I can see those guests really needed help, so be able to provide this is unbelievable,” Jabeur said. “It’s a great feeling and it makes me very grateful for the life I have. You should not take anything for granted.”

On his day, Nick Kyrgios poses a threat to anyone he faces at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The Australian will seek to improve his 12-4 record at the ATP Masters 1000 event when he faces Adrian Mannarino as the first round action begins on Wednesday at Hard Rock Stadium.

Kyrgios looked in top form during his quarter-final run at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and has serious pedigree in Miami. He reached the semi-finals at the tournament’s former home in Key Biscayne in 2016 and 2017 and has never failed to reach the fourth round in four appearances in south Florida.

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The six-time ATP Tour-titlist was in a positive mood in Indian Wells as he ousted Top 10-star Casper Ruud before falling to Rafael Nadal. “I’m just comfortable in my own skin,” said Kyrgios after his thumping first-round win over Sebastian Baez. “Mentally I feel the best I’ve probably ever felt, to be honest.”

The Australian will need to be focused from the start on Wednesday against an opponent whose best run in Miami was a fourth-round appearance in 201. The match will put one of tennis’ flashiest and gifted showmen, who has not always maximised his prodigious talent, against a no-frills workman known for extracting the most from his game through his determination and work ethic. Who will win is anybody’s guess.

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Gilles Simon will need to channel all his experience to edge one step closer to 500 career victories when he takes on an opponent seeking just his third tour-level win in 20-year-old wild card Jack Draper. Simon could reach his milestone by beating Draper and then 10th seed Cameron Norrie in the second round, and will hope to draw inspiration from his three previous quarter-final runs in Miami.

Draper takes to the court in confident mood. The Brit has notched three titles on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2022 to rise to No. 146 in the ATP Rankings and put himself in the early running for a spot at November’s Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

Here is what you need to know about the two weeks ahead 🔥 @emirates #ScoutingReport

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 22, 2022

Another player to enjoy significant recent success on the Challenger Tour is Tallon Griekspoor, who won seven titles at that level in 2021. He faces a first meeting with the Argentine World No. 103 Francisco Cerundolo in Miami.

Griekspoor lost out to Sam Querrey on his Masters 1000 debut in Indian Wells, but the Dutchman believes success will come as he plays more regularly at the top level. “I’m just looking to play week in, week out with those guys,” Griekspoor recently told ATPTour.com. “Maybe I’m looking for my first ATP title somewhere. Why not?

“For me, the level in Challengers is also tough. It’s not like it’s a lot different, so maybe that’s a goal, but it’s not like if I don’t make it this year I’m done. I think I have many years to come.”

Also meeting for the first time on Tour are Maxime Cressy and Emil Ruusuvuori. Both players have reached maiden ATP Tour finals in 2022. Cressy’s serve-and-volley game overcame Reilly Opelka and Grigor Dimitrov before being stopped by Rafael Nadal at January’s Melbourne Summer Set, while Ruusuvuori lost out to Joao Sousa in the final of the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune in February. The reward for the winner will be a second-round meeting with 10th seed Jannik Sinner.

#NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima makes his main-draw debut in Miami, facing off against World No. 63 Soonwoo Kwon, while former Top 20 star Benoit Paire plays Henri Laaksonen. The Frenchman has never been past the third round in Miami in six main-draw appearances.

Rafael Nadal announced on Twitter Tuesday that he suffered a stress fracture in one of his ribs.

“Hi everyone, I wanted to let you know that I’m back in Spain and I went straight to see my medical team for tests after the Indian Wells final, which I played in discomfort,” Nadal tweeted in Spanish. “I have a stress fracture in one of my ribs and I will be out for 4 to 6 weeks. It’s not good news and I didn’t expect this. I am devastated and sad because after such a good start to the season I have had.

“Now is a very important time of the year for me and I had a very good feeling and good results. Well, I have always had that spirit of fighting and overcoming and what I will do is be patient and work hard after my recovery. Once again I would like to thank everyone for their support.”

Llegaba a una parte muy importante del año con muy buenas sensaciones y buenos resultados. Pero bueno, siempre he tenido ese espíritu de lucha y superación y lo que sí haré es tener paciencia y trabajar duro tras mi recuperación. Una vez más agradecer a todos el apoyo.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 22, 2022

Nadal enjoyed a personal-best start to the season, going 20-0 before suffering his first loss, which came in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday against Taylor Fritz.

The lefty has won three titles this season, including his record 21st Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open. On Monday, he moved up to No. 3 in the ATP Rankings.

The Sunshine Double moves from the California desert in Indian Wells to its second stop in tropical south Florida this week as the ATP Masters 1000 action continues at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The Florida sun will shine on 18 of the Top 20 players in the ATP Rankings at the outdoor hard-court event, being held for the fourth time at Hard Rock Stadium. Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini will all be bidding to win their first tour-level title of the season in Miami, while Hubert Hurkacz returns as the reigning champion.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch this week.

1) Hard Rock Stadium Plays Host: The Miami Open has well and truly settled into its new home in Miami Gardens since moving there in 2019. While Hard Rock Stadium is well-known for most of the year as the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, tennis takes over this week as the ATP’s top stars arrive for the second ATP Masters 1000 event of the year.

The transformation of @HardRockStadium into Stadium Court 👀🎾 @fastdrycourts

Tennis fans, we are ready for YOU! 👊 pic.twitter.com/nKiNVUgkkz

— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 20, 2022

2) Chance For Medvedev To Reclaim No. 1: Daniil Medvedev’s stay at the top of the ATP Rankings may have only lasted three weeks, but the 26-year-old can haul himself back to top spot with a semi-final run in Miami. That would represent his best performance at a tournament where he only reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 2021, losing out to Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets.

3) Can Rublev Rouse Another Winning Run?: Despite having his 13-match winning streak snapped by Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals in Indian Wells, Andrey Rublev’s showing in California once again showed he is ready to go deep at the biggest events on Tour. In 2021 Miami was where the World No. 7’s upturn in Masters 1000 form began, as he advanced to his first semi-final at that level without dropping a set before falling to eventual champion Hubert Hurkacz.

4) Hurkacz Defends Title: Hubert Hurkacz announced himself in the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings after beating Jannik Sinner to secure his maiden Masters 1000 title in Miami a year ago. The Pole has since cemented his reputation as a serious threat at big tournaments, reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the Rolex Paris Masters, but he begins his defence hunting a first title of 2022.

5) Top 10 Stars Bring The Heat: Stefanos Tsitsipas will seek to turn his solid start to the season into something more spectacular in Miami. The World No. 5 has reached a final and two semi-finals in 2022 after his rapid recovery from elbow surgery, a turnaround he described as ‘a miracle’. The Greek reached the quarter-finals in 2021, his best showing in Miami, before losing out to eventual champion Hurkacz.

World No. 4 Alexander Zverev is also hunting a first title of the year, but Felix Auger-Aliassime finally broke his trophy duck at the Rotterdam ATP 500 event in February and will see Miami as an obvious place to repeat the trick at an even higher level – his best Masters 1000 showing is a semi-final run there in 2019. On the other side of the coin is Matteo Berrettini, whose only previous appearance at Hard Rock Stadium in 2019 ended in first-round defeat to Hurkacz.

6) Alcaraz Hunts Maiden Miami Win: A year ago, a No. 132-ranked Carlos Alcaraz made his ATP Masters 1000 debut in Miami, losing out in a tight three-set defeat to Emil Ruusuvuori. Since then, the young Spaniard has sent shockwaves around the world with a string of sensational performances, most recently in reaching a first Masters 1000 semi-final in Indian Wells. Alcaraz not only looks a strong chance to clinch his first match win in Miami this year, but on current form he may make a bold run at the title.

7) Can #NextGenATP Stars Follow Alcaraz’s Lead?: Sebastian Baez and Juan Manuel Cerundolo will hope to impress fans on debut at Hard Rock Stadium, while Brandon Nakashima will also feature in the main draw for the first time.

The locals are already more than familiar with #NextGenATP alumni Sebastian Korda. The Florida native stormed to the quarter-finals on his Miami debut in 2021, and showed he is a threat to anyone on Tour after coming within a game of being the man to end Rafael Nadal’s unbeaten start to the season in Indian Wells.

8) Wild Card Danger From Kyrgios, Murray: Nick Kyrgios looked back to his best in reaching the quarter-finals in Indian Wells and the Australian will be confident of building on that showing after receiving a wild card for a tournament where he has reached the semi-finals twice.

He is joined in the draw by a pair of dangerous British wild cards: former World No. 1 and two-time Miami champion Andy Murray and 20-year-old Jack Draper, who has already clinched three ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2022.

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9) Fritz Leads American Charge: Taylor Fritz arrives in Miami off the back of a dream run in Indian Wells where he soared to his first Masters 1000 crown, ending Rafael Nadal’s unbeaten start to the season in the final. The 24-year-old will now be keen to get to work improving his record in Miami, where he has made the third round just once in five appearances. He could ask his countryman John Isner for some advice on how to win in Florida – the big-serving World No. 21 took the title in 2018, also reaching the final a year later.

Dallas Open champion Reilly Opelka, Jenson Brooksby and Tommy Paul will also hope to build on solid starts to 2022 by going deep at Hard Rock Stadium.

10) Top Pairings Seek To Kick Start Season In Doubles: The three highest-ranked doubles teams all arrive in Miami trophyless in 2022. Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic have the added incentive of defending their 2021 title, while Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury also enjoyed a strong run last year before falling to the Croatians in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Spaniard Marcel Granollers and Argentine Horacio Zeballos have won four Masters 1000 titles since joining forces in 2019, but have never won a match together in Miami.

It’s been a long road for Stan Wawrinka, but the Swiss star is accelerating his preparations for his return to the ATP Tour.

The former World No. 3 has accepted a wild card for the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open, an event on the ATP Challenger Tour, being held in Marbella, Spain from 27 March until 3 April.

Wawrinka suffered a foot injury in early 2021 and has not played since his three-set defeat to Lloyd Harris at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in March last year. His return to the match court following surgery and extensive rehabilitation is a promising sign for the three-time Grand Slam champion.

The Challenger 125 event boasts a strong field, with Wawrinka one of three former Top 10 players playing at the clay-court event along with Fernando Verdasco and Lucas Pouille. Two players in the running for qualification for the 2022 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, Holger Rune and Jiri Lehecka, are also competing, as well as World No. 89 Jaume Munar, who reached the final in both 2020 and 2021.

The tournament will mark Wawrinka’s first return to the Challenger Tour since August 2020 when he played back-to-back events in Prague, the first of which he clinched with a championship match victory over Aslan Karatsev.

After Grand Slam glory at the Australian Open, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis are on the hunt for an ATP Masters 1000 crown at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Despite losing out to eventual champions John Isner and Jack Sock in the second round at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the electric Australian duo are back for more fun in the sun as their Miami campaign kicks off against the in-form Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni. The Mexican-Argentine pairing has already picked up two titles together in 2022, on the clay in Cordoba and Buenos Aires.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Feliciano Lopez have already proved the heat doesn’t bother them by surging to the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco in February. They start their Miami campaign by taking on Kazakh duo Alexander Bublik and Andrey Golubev.

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Success on the singles court in 2021 appears to have enticed Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner back for more in Miami. Both of last year’s finalists are pulling doubles duty at Hard Rock Stadium, with Hurkacz partnering BNP Paribas Open champion Isner against three-time Grand Slam winners Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies. Sinner also plays with a big-serving American, teaming up with Reilly Opelka against Tomislav Brkic and Nikola Cacic in the first round.

Top seeds and reigning champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic have the chance to rebound from their first-round loss in Indian Wells in their opening clash with Nikoloz Basilashvili and Laslo Djere. Just like Mektic and Pavic, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury are hunting their first title of 2022 and the No. 2 seeds start their Miami campaign against Lloyd Glasspool and Michael Venus.

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos have won five Masters 1000 events since partnering up in 2019 but the third seeds seek their first match win in Miami against Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan. The John Peers and Filip Polasek partnership is making its debut at the event, and the fourth seeds have been handed a tough first assignment against Italian duo Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini.