Petra Kvitova and Sofia Kenin face off in the first round of the Miami Open in a contest between two former Grand Slam champions.
Both women contest a rematch of their 2018 third-round encounter, with the 2023 champion eager to return to winning ways on the WTA Tour for the first time since her maternity leave.
Match preview
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Kvitova returns to the scene of her 2023 title success — the ninth 1000-level crown of her career — as she battles another former Grand Slam winner in one of the eagerly anticipated first-round matches of this year's event.
The two-time Slam winner could not defend her title 12 months ago due to taking time off, but the former world No. 2 is back in 2025, aiming to avoid a first-round elimination against Kenin.
Excluding qualifying, the Czech star held a 23-12 record at the 1000-level event before her maternity absence, having reached the fourth round, quarter-final and going all the way in the three years before her 2024 hiatus from the tour.
However, the veteran is now playing catch-up upon returning, highlighted by disappointments in February's comeback tournament in Austin and a follow-up exit at Indian Wells a fortnight ago.
Nevertheless, Kvitova took Jodie Burrage to three sets in the former before facing another decider against Varvara Gracheva in California a fortnight ago, suggesting that the 31-time WTA champion retains her competitive edge despite her extended absence.
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Kenin aims to exploit that rust when she steps onto the court for Tuesday's tournament opener, seeking to avenge a loss from seven years ago in the event's third round.
The American player claimed the opening set in that 2018 contest, only for Kvitova to raise her level in the second set and take a tight decider for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory at world No. 46's expense.
Although the American was a qualifier at the time, she arguably enters the pair's fourth meeting on the women's tour as the favourite, given Kvitova's time off and minimal match practice.
Kenin, a five-time WTA champion, has had plenty of competitive match action this season, with the former world No. 4 entering Miami with an 11-7 record and 9-7 in main draws in 2025.
The 2020 Australian Open champion might have exited early at Indian Wells in three tight sets to Daria Kasatkina, but the 26-year-old's 2025 performance has already produced a pair of quarter-final runs (Hobart and Dubai) and a place in the last 16 in Doha.
Aiming to put the second-round defeat against Kasatkina a fortnight ago behind her, Kenin, whose best showings in Miami have been three third-round appearances in 2018, 2021 and 2023, seeks to outdo that ceiling.
While the five-time titlist may need to overcome America's No. 1 player — Coco Gauff — in round two and possibly Maria Sakkari in the third round, the 26-year-old must first defeat a two-time Grand Slam winner and nine-time 1000-level champion to have that opportunity.
Head To Head
French Open (2020) - Semi-final: Kenin 6-4 7-5
Madrid Open (2019) - First round: Kvitova 6-1 6-4
Miami Open (2018) - Third round: Kvitova 3-6 6-2 6-4
Kvitova and Kenin will face each other for the fourth time, with the Czech star leading their head-to-head 2-1, although the 26-year-old claimed their last contest in 2020 at the semi-finals of the French Open — the American was a beaten finalist.
The 31-time champion did win a two-hour three-setter in their only hard-court meeting, which took place at this event seven years ago, and aims to secure another success on this surface.
However, Kenin comes into this encounter with four victories in six matches, even if the American has lost two of her last three — falling to Elena Rybakina in Dubai's quarter-final and Kasatkina at Indian Wells.
The five-time WTA champion enters her Miami opener with a 2-0 record against left-handed opponents this season, having defeated Wang Xiyu in Auckland and Lulu Sun in Hobart, and she aims for a third win by overcoming the 2023 champion.
We say: Kenin to win in two sets
While Kvitova has competed admirably since her comeback, playing three sets in both Austin and Indian Wells, winning the opening sets before losing the next two in defeats to Burrage and Gracheva, Kenin's ball placement and on-court variety should prove too much for the returning Czech veteran.
