Miami Open – Victoria Azarenka Granted Wildcard, Full Wildcard List Announced

(March 14, 2018) MIAMI, FL – Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka has been granted a main draw wildcard to the 2018 Miami Open. The Miami Open is taking place March 19-April 1 at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne.

The former World No. 1 and three-time Miami Open champ joins a tournament field that includes 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams; World No. 1 Simona Halep; current U.S. Open Champion Sloane Stephens; 7-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams; and 2017 Australian Open champion and Miami Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki.

American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, a five-time Grand Slam doubles champion joins a bevy of future stars receiving main draw wildcards into this year’s tournament.

Reigning ITF Junior World champion and Bradenton, Florida native Whitney Osuigwe; nine-time ITF title winner Bernarda Pera; five-time ITF title winner Ajla Tomljanovic reigning Junior U.S. Open champion Amanda Anisimova; and 2017 junior Wimbledon champion Claire Liu all join the impressive women’s field.

Women receiving qualifying wildcards include five-time Grand Slam doubles champion Roberta Vinci,  2017 Wimbledon Juniors finalist Ann Li, ITF title winners Antonia Lottner, Katie Boulter, Allie Kiick, Tereza Smitkova, and Emiliana Arango; along with Xiyu Wang of China.

On the men’s side, the Miami Open awarded main draw wildcards to several rising stars including two-time ACC Player of the Year (2016, 2017), Chris Eubanks; Nicola Kuhn of Spain, one of the youngest Challenger Winners in 2017; Sweden’s Mikael Ymer; Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic and Nicolas Jarry of Chile.

They join a competitive field that features World No. 1 and defending Miami Open champion Roger Federer, Grand Slam winners Juan Martin Del Potro and Marin Cilic; and 12-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic.

Qualifying draw wildcards were extended to Joao Souza (Brazil), Casper Ruud (Norway), 2017 Wimbledon Boys’ Doubles champion Axel Geller (Argentina), 2015 ATP Challenger title winner Elias Ymer (Sweden), 2016 USTA 18s Boys’ national champion Michael Mmoh (USA), and 2017 USTA Boys’ 18s national champion Patrick Kypson (USA).

2018 Miami Open Wildcards

Men’s Main Draw

Nicola Kuhn

Mikael Ymer

Chris Eubanks

Miomir Kecmanovic

Nicolas Jarry
 

Women’s Main Draw

Serena Williams

Victoria Azarenka

Claire Liu

Amanda Anisimova

Whitney Osuigwe

Bernarda Pera

Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Ajla Tomljanovic
 

Men’s Qualifying

Jao Souza

Casper Ruud

Axel Geller

Elias Ymer

Patrick Kypson
 

Women’s Qualifying

Ann Li

Antonia Lottner

Katie Boulter

Tereza Smitkova

Allie Kiick

Xiyu Wang

Roberta Vinci

Emiliana Arango