Former champion Iga Swiatek tops initial Miami Open entry list

Miami [US], February 22 (ANI): The 2022 champion Iga Swiatek topped the initial Miami Open entry list as the event announced its direct main-draw acceptances on Wednesday.
Some of the greatest stars on the WTA Tour will play the second of two consecutive WTA 1000 events staged on US hard courts in March.
This time Hard Rock Stadium will not witness a back-to-back champion in 2024, as World No.18 Petra Kvitova, the 2023 winner, is absent from the first acceptance list after announcing her pregnancy on New Year's Day.
Kvitova defeated Elena Rybakina 7-6(14), 6-2 in last year's final, and the fourth-ranked Kazakh will compete at Hard Rock Stadium alongside 2022 champion and World No.1 Swiatek and reigning Australian Open champion and World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka.
World No. 3 Coco Gauff and World No.5 Jessica Pegula are the defending doubles winners, defeating Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend 12 months ago.
Three-time singles champion Victoria Azarenka and 2018 winner Sloane Stephens have also been accepted into the main draw, as have 2018 finalist Jelena Ostapenko, 2019 runner-up Karolina Pliskova, and 2022 finalist Naomi Osaka, who is entered on a protected ranking following her maternity break in 2023.
Belinda Bencic currently ranked No. 44, is also missing from the lineup despite qualifying by ranking; she, like Kvitova, is expecting her first child this year. China's Yuan Yue, ranked 69th in the world, is presently the last direct admittance into the women's main draw. (ANI)