Top five surprise performers at Miami Open 2024

Published at :April 1, 2024 at 1:36 PM

Modified at :April 6, 2024 at 9:27 PM

(Courtesy : ATP Tour)

Upsets and underdogs took center stage as new court surface shook things up.

The Miami Open 2024 witnessed some enthralling tennis action this year. After James Blake took over as the tournament director last year and changed the surface, the pace of play increased. This made the matches even more exciting, with players slowly getting used to it.

With the heat of Miami on full display, the fast nature of the surface became a new challenge for the players. As a result of these two factors, there were a few surprise performances, including upsets at the Miami Open.

Let’s look at the top five players who surprised many at the Miami Open 2024:

Top surprise performers at Miami Open 2024

Danielle Collins

Danielle Collins was on an emotional run at the Miami Open. Having announced her retirement at the end of 2024, this will be her final year in professional tennis. Every performance has been memorable this year, but she took her game to the next level in Miami, clinching her first-ever WTA 1000 series finals after defeating Elena Rybakina in straight sets.

On her way to the title clash, she surprised many by taking down favourites like Ekaterina Alexandrova and Sorana Cîrstea.

Fabian Marozsan

Fabian Marozsan had a memorable run in the Miami Open. The World No. 82 had been in good form coming into the Miami Open. The Hungarian, known for beating big players, started it off in Miami as well when he beat the sixth-seeded Holger Rune in the first round.

If a few thought it was a one-off win, he surprised everyone by knocking out Australian Alex de Minaur, who was seeded ninth. However, the dream run came to an end in the quarters against Alexander Zverev.

Caroline Garcia

If one could pick another woman who amazed the fans at the Miami Open, then it has to be Caroline Garcia. The 30-year-old loves playing on hard courts, but she came into the event as an unseeded player. Her first big win came against former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka in the second round.

The French player did one better by beating the home favourite Coco Gauff in the next round. Her run was stopped by eventual winner Danielle Collins, but not before she made a significant impact.

Nicolas Jarry

One of the biggest upsets of the Miami Open came from Chilean international Nicolas Jarry. In the Round of 16 match, he defeated Casper Ruud to move to the quarters. The straight-sets win in the pre-quarters surprised many given the quality of Ruud.

He struggled in the first two rounds as he was pushed to three sets in both games. But he won the game against Ruud in two sets, surprising the fans in Florida. He couldn’t continue it as Daniil Medvedev beat him in the quarters.

Grigor Dimitrov

Nothing is more exciting in sport than an underdog performing against expectations. Grigor Dimitrov’s journey to the finals is one such scenario. While no one can doubt the class of Dimitrov, the Bulgarian was in a topsy-turvy form. The 32-year-old answered his critics on the court when he cruised past the number one-seeded Carlos Alcaraz.

The semis had even more drama, with Dimitrov beating the German Alexander Zverev. The game was a masterclass on how to serve as he rocketed in 18 aces and never allowed his opponent to break him. However, Bulgarian fell short against red-hot Jannik Sinner in the finals in straight sets.

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