Jakub Mensik enters this Miami title defense with a methodical, numbers-first approach that began in his junior years. He said he feels “a lot of goosebumps” as he prepares to defend the trophy he won at Hard Rock Stadium last year.

Mensik can still recall the tactical notes from that run. He reviewed his match against Roberto Bautista Agut and the adjustment he made to face Roman Safiullin, prioritizing control in the early exchanges. “Every percent makes a big difference in this type of game,” he explained during an info session for the ATP’s TennisIQ stats platform. “I knew that I needed to be good in the beginning of the rallies—so from zero to four (shots)—which I dominate really, really well. So I knew that I had to keep (Bautista Agut) in this kind of game.

“I knew that Safiullin is a guy that is hitting the ball very hard, but when I keep him in the longer rallies his Baseline Points Won was 45 percent. So at the time, I was like, Okay I want to stay with him in the baseline battles.’”

The analytic habit traces to his father, Michal, an IT professional who built a custom platform to track serve and return numbers, serve-plus-one shots, shot selection and court zones from Mensik’s junior days through his rise. “You would be surprised. There was serve and return numbers, serve plus one shots, shot selections,” Mensik said of the platform. “We implemented zones as well… There was a lot of things.

“My father used to be there for many, many hours a day. But it was the basic information that I needed when I was a junior and starting to play pros. That was the most necessary thing that I needed.”

Now ranked No. 13 with more than $5.5 million in career prize money, including $2.6 million in 2025, Mensik works with coach Tomas Josefus, mental coach Dragan Vujovic and fitness coach Jan Pospisil. After cutting his 2025 season short with a foot injury and withdrawing from Basel, the Paris Masters and the Next Gen ATP Finals, he opened 2026 by winning in Auckland, then withdrew from the Australian Open before a fourth-round match against Djokovic with an abdominal issue. He returned in Doha and beat world No. 2 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals.

Facing substantial points to defend and the chance to join the few who have retained Miami, Mensik remains measured. “I’m not trying to put too much pressure on myself—even from the outside, from the media, the audience and anyone who is talking about it,” Mensik said.

“I’m just trying to focus on myself. Of course, (the pressure of defending a big title) is something new, but it’s something that I’m really excited for and something that I want to have in my career.”

After Indian Wells, the tour moved to the Miami Open for the second leg of the Sunshine Double, where conversation turned to whether recent champions can follow up. The hosts returned to discuss how Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka might back up BNP Paribas Open titles in Miami and whether either can complete the double. Odds observed in the field suggested close favorites for the repeat, and Andrea Petkovic offered a tactical read on the conditions.

“I actually think both of them, with their playing styles, have done the hard part,” said Petkovic. “The easier tournament for them to win, strictly game style-speaking, is the Miami Open. Because [the court is] quicker, the bounce is lower—this is both what they usually prefer.” Petkovic also flagged recovery as a key variable. “Traveling so late to a tournament without many more days to adapt, that’s going to be the big question mark,” says Petkovic.

The show also turned inward, examining the role of the high-performance coach for the top-ranked player on the WTA Tour. Jason Stacy, who travelled quickly from the winner’s circle at Indian Wells, described his remit within Team Sabalenka. “My role is making sure doing the right things at the right time,” Stacy says. He explained how responsibilities have evolved: “I used to do a lot of the physio and massage work, now we have Helen [Murawska] on board. I don’t do any of that, really; her and I talk about what’s working, what’s not working, what we need to do.”

Stacy emphasised the emphasis on process and fit. “It’s not just, do you have the knowledge and experience,” he says, “it’s also who you are as a person—do you fit in with the team?” The ultimate objective, he said, is straightforward: “from a physical standpoint, a mental standpoint, Aryna has everything she needs to be able manage her energy well enough to perform.” Jason Stacy, Aryna Sabalenka’s high-performance coach, is seeing their hard work paying off.

Three matches to watch as the Miami Open progresses, each carrying distinct storylines about form, style and recent results.

Siegemund and Alex Eala open the main stadium with a study in contrasts. Siegemund is a 38-year-old German; Eala is a 20-year-old from the Philippines. Eala holds the higher ranking, 29 to 53, but a large share of her points were earned at this tournament in 2025 when she stunned the field by beating Iga Swiatek to reach the semifinals. That history means she arrives with ranking points to defend and expectations to manage. Siegemund tests opponents with extreme deliberation between points and maximal variation during them, chopping forehands, driving backhands and using spin and angles. Eala relies on a single plan: drive the ball hard and flat into the corners. Eala’s consistency will likely determine the outcome as she navigates Siegemund’s eccentric rhythm. Winner: Siegemund

Joao Fonseca draws attention in the big stadium again after last year’s packed crowds. He could eventually face top seed Carlos Alcaraz, but first must get past Zsombor Marozsan. The two are similarly ranked, Fonseca 39th and Marozsan 46th, and Marozsan won their only prior meeting last spring on clay in Rome in a competitive two-set match. Marozsan is 6-7 this season and came into Miami after first-round losses in Dubai and Indian Wells. Fonseca is 4-4, having earned three wins in a strong Indian Wells run before falling in two tiebreak sets to Jannik Sinner. Fonseca’s game revolves around an explosive forehand; Marozsan, at 6’4″ and 165 pounds, is a long and lanky gunslinger who can answer fire with fire. The occasion and the crowd could favor Fonseca. Winner: Fonseca

Mirra Andreeva meets McCartney Kessler in the late stadium match on Thursday. Andreeva is ranked 10th and Kessler 51st, but Kessler won their only previous encounter last summer on hard courts in Montreal. Kessler reached a season high of No. 30 last year. In 2026 both players have lost ground: Kessler is 7-6 for the season and down 20 ranking spots since January 1; Andreeva is 12-5 so far in 2026 after a breakout into the Top 5 in 2025. Kessler has already survived a three-set match in Miami. The last time we saw Andreeva she was chucking her racquet in rage during her defeat in Indian Wells.