It is the week before the Tennis Paradise, also known as the Sunshine Double of Indian Wells and Miami, begins. Unsurprisingly, ATP and WTA players with lingering injuries and those wanting extra play are adjusting their schedules accordingly.
On the ATP side, Jack Draper who lost a hard-fought three-set Doha final to Andrey Rublev on Saturday has pulled out of Dubai to allow himself extra time to rest before Indian Wells. Taylor Fritz was on site in Acapulco prepared to play when he opted to pull out of the tournament to deal with an ongoing abdominal injury.
WTA veteran and Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova marks her return to professional tennis with a wildcard entry in Austin this week after giving birth to her son in 2024. Kvitova is a fan favorite and the 2023 Miami Open champion who did not play in 2024; fans are eager to see her back on the court as she begins the road back.
The comeback is in motion! @Petra_Kvitova is in training and preparing for her @WTA return in Austin 🙌 pic.twitter.com/0Wj3JUEhKU
— ATX Open (@AtxOpen) February 15, 2025
Here is a rundown of the ATP and WTA tournaments this week.
- Dubai ATP 500: Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, and Rublev are the top three seeds in this event.
- Acapulco ATP 500: Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, and Tommy Paul are the top three seeds. Other Americans in the event are Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, Marcos Giron, Brandon Nakashima, and Alex Michelsen. Shelton will also play doubles with Rinky Hijikata.
- Santiago ATP 250: Francisco Cerundolo is the top seed.
- Austin WTA 250: Jessica Pegula, Diana Shnaider, and Peyton Stearns are the top seeds. Other seeded Americans in the draw are Dubai’s outstanding performer, Mccartney Kessler (5th) and Katie Volynets (7th). Kessler will play doubles with Shuai Zhang.
- Merida WTA 500: Emma Navarro, Paula Badosa, and Beatriz Haddad Maia are the top seeds. 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens is a wildcard entry and will play doubles with Elina Avenesyan.
