Tennis | Miami 2025 | Carlos Alcaraz continues world number one bid against David Goffin in Miami opener

By Tony Fairbairn

Carlos Alcaraz [2] v David Goffin
Elina Svitolina [22] v Belinda Bencic
Karen Khachanov [22] v Nick Kyrgios [PR]

MIAMI, USA – Carlos Alcaraz aims to continue his bid to become world number one when he takes on David Goffin in his Miami opener.

Carlos Alcaraz [2] v David Goffin H2H & Match Fundamentals

Carlos Alcaraz [2] v David Goffin H2H: Tied at 1-1 Miami Open 2025 Miami, USA Hard (O) Prize Money: $35,260 Fifth on Stadium (Not before 00:30 GMT) Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required Carlos Alcaraz’s Indian Wells title defence didn’t go according to plan as he just fell short against eventual champion Jack Draper in the semi-finals. The Spaniard will be slightly concerned at his current form in big events this season so far. However he will be motivated by the incentive that he can take advantage of Jannik Sinner’s absence by dethroning the defending champion and potentially becoming world number one. The question is can Alcaraz raise his level and be calm under pressure in order to take advantage of the Italian’s absence?

The first big test for Alcaraz will come in the form of Belgian David Goffin with their head-to-head record tied at 1-1. The world number 55 can cause trouble to any player on his day especially on faster surfaces but has struggled this season, starting the year with five consecutive defeats. Form has since slightly improved and will be hoping he can elevate his game on the big occasion as he has a habit of doing just that in the past. Aiming for a place in the world’s top 50 could be the motivation Goffin needs to cause the upset here.

Alcaraz looks to be aggressive by using the forehand to accelerate the tempo of the rally as well as being proactive on serve. Meanwhile Goffin will use the backhand to turn the rally in his favour as he will use the drop shot to take the Spaniard by surprise. This will be an entertaining match but Alcaraz’s quality should prevail in three sets.

Prediction: Alcaraz in three sets.

Elina Svitolina [22] v Belinda Bencic H2H & Match Fundamentals

Elina Svitolina [22] v Belinda Bencic H2H: Tied at 2-2 Miami Open 2025 Miami, USA Hard (O) Prize Money: $35,260 Fourth on Court One (19:30 GMT) Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required It’s been a decent season for Elina Svitolina who built on her Australian Open quarter-final by reaching the fourth round at Indian Wells before losing to eventual champion Mirra Andreeva. The Ukrainian continues to improve all aspects of her game as she continues to be more aggressive and proactive from the baseline. Now Svitolina aims for more big results at big tournaments as she will believe she can win more big tournaments in the future in a bid to deny the future generation.

A massive test awaits Svitolina in the form of Belinda Bencic with the Swiss’ revival continuing. This season has continued to get better and better as a WTA 500 title in Abu Dhabi has been followed with a return to the world’s top 50 after reaching the Indian Wells quarter-finals. Now Bencic will aim to continue her good run of form, targeting a Grand Slam seeding in the near future.

Svitolina will use the backhand to create angles in order to force errors from Bencic’s game. Meanwhile Bencic will need to be aggressive as she will use the forehand to pin Svitolina behind the baseline. This should be an entertaining match with both players playing confident tennis at the moment. However, Bencic should have enough consistent quality to edge one of the best matches of the tournament.

Prediction: Bencic in three sets.

Karen Khachanov [22] v Nick Kyrgios [PR] H2H & Match Fundamentals

Karen Khachanov [22] v Nick Kyrgios [PR] H2H: Khachanov leads 2-1 Miami Open 2025 Miami, USA Hard (O) Prize Money: $35,260 Second on Butch Buchholz (16:30 GMT) Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required After a fantastic end to last season, Karen Khachanov has had a poor start to the 2025 season with his best result being a run to the third round at the Australian Open. The world number 23 has made a career out of being inconsistent with some weeks being exceptional while other weeks proving he can lose to anyone on the tour. Now the 22nd seed will look for some confidence as he heads into the clay court season.

A titanic first match awaits as he takes on the ever controversial Nick Kyrgios. The Australian earned his first win in over two and a half years by defeating Mackenzie McDonald in close encounter. If we take away the off-court antics, Kyrgios has potential on the court and is hoping to still achieve some good results despite career-saving wrist surgery. Now Kyrgios will hope Miami can spark a rejuvenated run of form as he bids to improve his ranking.

Khachanov will use the forehand to dictate play from the baseline and force Kyrgios into erratic errors. Meanwhile the Australian will need to have a good serving day as he looks to finish off points efficiently at the net. This is a match that both players will need to win and Khachanov’s more reliable fitness and consistency from the baseline sees him as favourite heading into this contest.

Prediction: Khachanov in three sets.

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