Following two WTA 1000s in the Middle East, the Sunshine Double got off to a very different start with the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. There were surprise champions in Doha (Karolina Muchova) and Dubai (Jessica Pegula), but order was restored in the desert – where Aryna Sabalenka beat Elena Rybakina in the final.
Now attention turns to the Miami Open, where the hard court’s turn in the spring ends before the on-court grind begins. Sabalenka is the No. 1 and defending champion, but Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff are also focused on the top spot.
Here are my best bets for the 2026 Miami WTA 1000. Check out the odds and bet on tennis at Casinoways.
Elena Rybakina (+600)
Sabalenka finished second in Indian Wells before eventually winning her first Tennis Paradise title. Rybakina will look to achieve the same in Miami after losing in the finals there in both 2023 and 2024. There is no reason why he can’t do it. The second-ranked Kazakh won the Australian Open earlier this season and came within a point of lifting the trophy in Indian Wells on Sunday before falling to Sabalenka in the third tiebreaker. Don’t be surprised if Rybakina moves forward this time in Miami while she makes up for her near miss at IW.
Victoria Mboko (+1400)
Mboko conquered the world of tennis with the WTA 1000 title in front of her home crowd in Montreal last summer. It has been full of momentum for the 19-year-old in 2026. She has posted second-place finishes in Adelaide and the WTA Doha 1000, and reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells. Mboko’s defeats this season came against Mirra Andreeva (Adelaide final), Karolina Muchova (Doha final), and Sabalenka twice (Aussie Open and Indian Wells). The Canadian has a good match in Miami, where she is on the other side of the bracket from both Sabalenka and Rybakina.
Belinda Bencic (+5000)
If you’re looking for a long game, Bencic seems like a decent choice. The 29-year-old Swiss is a two-time WTA 1000 champion and won the 500-point tournaments last season (Abu Dhabi and Tokyo). Bencic was a semi-finalist in Miami in 2022, so he can handle the hot and humid conditions on the outskirts of South Beach. World No. 12 has a drawing that is perfectly suited to Miami; he wouldn’t face Swiatek to the end and Sabalenka or Rybakina to the end.
