Hailey Baptiste turned a year of steady progress into a defining moment in Miami, posting the biggest win of her career to reach the Round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event for the first time.

The 24-year-old American defeated world No. 9 Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday, handing the Ukrainian the most significant upset of the tournament. Baptiste’s victory was her second career Top 10 win; her first came against a hampered Barbora Krejcikova in Wuhan in 2024. Beating the player who entered Miami with the most match wins on either the ATP or WTA this season proved a strong statement.

“You can’t get to this point without doing the right things, and I’ve definitely been putting in a lot of work off the court and on the court, behind the scenes, and it’s clearly showing up,” she told reporters afterwards. “I’ve been here for a while, everybody pretty much knows what I can do and it’s time for me to show it, I guess.”

The result is the latest milestone in a surge that began last summer with Baptiste’s first Grand Slam fourth-round at Roland Garros. In 2026 she reached the third round of the Australian Open for the first time and recorded her first WTA 500 semifinal in Abu Dhabi, where she was a point away from the final before losing a tight three-setter to Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Three days after that Abu Dhabi semifinal, the day she first entered the Top 40 at No. 39, Baptiste split with coach Eric Hechtman, who took over the reins from Franklin Tiafoe, Frances’ brother.

Baptiste says her recent climb has been driven as much by internal conviction as by changes around her.

“I’ve always kind of known how I should play, and you know there’s moments where maybe I don’t trust it as much, and right now, the last few months and over the past year, I’ve just been trying to trust my game and trust myself as much as possible. Obviously, belief is a huge part of getting wins,” she said.

A win against Ostapenko in the next round would lift Baptiste past her previous career-high ranking and move her closer to the Top 30.

Talia Gibson has extended a startling run of form, following her breakthrough at Indian Wells with a commanding performance in Miami. The 21-year-old Australian advanced to the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event after a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Iva Jovic.

Gibson served strongly throughout the match. She did not face a break point across eight service games and won 81% of second-serve points against the Australian Open quarterfinalist. That service display underpinned a routine scoreline and a straight-sets win.

The result is part of a remarkable three-week stretch. Gibson has won 11 of her last 12 matches, six at Indian Wells (two in qualifying and four in the main draw) and five in Miami (two in qualifying and three in the main draw). Those matches have come against high-caliber opponents: she had never beaten a Top 50 player before Indian Wells, where she began a run that has seen her go 7-1 against Top 50 players across Indian Wells and Miami.

All eight of her main-draw matches at the two WTA 1000 events were against Top 50 opponents. Her only loss in that span was to Linda Noskova in the Indian Wells quarterfinals, a three-set result in what the draft called tennis paradise last week.

With Sunday’s victory, Gibson is 5-1 against Top 20 players in the last three weeks and 5-2 against them for her career. Her prior Top 20 meeting was a 6-1, 6-0 loss to No. 12 Paula Badosa in the second round of the 2025 Australian Open.

Indian Wells propelled Gibson into the Top 100 for the first time this past Monday, rising from No. 112 to No. 68. How she finishes in Miami could determine whether she climbs further into the Top 50.

This preview focuses on three opening-round matchups at the Miami Open: Coco Gauff against Alycia Parks, Jannik Sinner’s first match after Indian Wells, and Naomi Osaka meeting an in-form qualifier.

Gauff’s meeting with Parks presents a contrast in trajectories. Parks is 25 and Gauff 22. Gauff has been embedded in the Top 5 for three years, while Parks is still seeking a consistent breakthrough. Parks brings a big frame and a big game: she is 6’1, has a title to her name and has been ranked as high as No. 40. She is 105th in the rankings now and recorded a 23-32 record in 2025. Their only prior encounter ended 6-0, 6-2 in Gauff’s favor. The immediate form mark for Parks is encouraging: she has won two main-draw matches in Miami, and she handled former WTA No. 2 Maria Sakkari in comfortable, 6-3, 6-3 fashion on Friday. The Miami courts can play quick, which will give Parks opportunities to tee off, but Gauff’s speed and consistency make her the likely favorite.

Winner: Gauff

Sinner arrives after an emotional and physical run at Indian Wells. If he needed rest, he benefited from the opening-day rain delay and the fact his side of the draw played last; he will take the court for the first time on Saturday, six days after IW ended. Not that he sounded tired on Sunday: he said Miami was “very important” to him. Last year at this time he was serving a doping-related suspension, so he has little to defend until Rome in May. He returns against the 33-year-old, 76th-ranked Dzumhur, a player Sinner has never faced. Dzumhur is 3-7 this season, is listed at 5’9 and will give up about six inches to Sinner. He does not bring a booming serve or heavy groundstroke power but will fight for every game.

Winner: Sinner

The night match to watch pairs Naomi Osaka with a 21-year-old Australian qualifier, Gibson. Gibson won two qualifying matches in Indian Wells, then beat three Top 20 opponents—Alexandrova, Tauson, and Paolini—on her way to the quarterfinals. In Miami she won two more in the qualies, and steamrolled Sara Bejlek 1 and 0 in the first round. Osaka, who spent much of her youth in this part of Florida, is 17-8 at the Miami Open with a final-round appearance in 2022. Gibson carries momentum; Osaka brings experience and a deeper well of confidence. Expect baseline power and aggressive court positioning from both players.