Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton will be among the big names leading action at the 2026 Miami Open. Both men have found themselves in different halves of the draw, which was released on Monday (March 16).

Sinner is eyeing a rare Sunshine Double, but finds himself in a packed draw. Some top names have been awarded espcially difficult draws, while others may have somewhat easier time early in the tournament. Here, we have broken down some of the biggest winners and losers of the 2026 Miami Open men’s singles draw:

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Loser: Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz has a quarter loaded with dangerous floaters. His troubles begin right at the offset as he could run into former Junior World No. 1 Joao Fonseca at the very first hurdle.

Things do now get easier for the top seed as another former Junior No. 1 awaits in a possible third-round encounter in the form of Sebastian Korda. Even though it was three years ago, the American did get a win over Alcaraz and will bring some confidence into the match-up.

The Spaniard’s projected quarterfinals opponent is American No. 1 Taylor Fritz, but he could also face a returning Jack Draper, who showed signs of quick revival upon his comeback to American hardcourts at Indian Wells.

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Winner: Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner will be a happy customer knowing that he has a relatively easy opening couple of rounds, especially after the amount of tennis that he has played to win the Indian Wells trophy over the last fortnight.

The Italian’s first big test is likely to come against Andrey Rublev in the fourth round, but he has won five of their six meetings.

Defending champion Jakub Mensik and Felix Auger Aliassime loom in the quarter but will run into each other early in the draw, eliminating at least one big threat before setting up the quarterifnal showdown.

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Loser: Ben Shelton

You know you’re in trouble when the highest seed in your section is not your biggest threat. Ben Shelton finds himself in this situation at this year’s Miami Open.

While Alexander Zverev’s big serve should be viewed as a challenge, for Shelton, the real test will come against Daniil Medvedev. With his Indian Wells run, the former World No. 1 is beginning to look like the dominant hardcourt force from a few years ago.

Besides Medvedev and Zverev, the fast-rising Learner Tien also complicates matters for Shelton. The American has shown immense promise in his young career and could well be last man standing when the dust settles on this quarter.

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Winner: Lorenzo Musetti

Lorenzo Musetti continues his return to competition after the heartbreaking Australian Open injury withdrawal. And luckily, the draw has awarded him some breathing room,

The Italian should not have to break too much of a sweat until the fourth round, where he could run into compatriot Flavio Cobolli (whom he leads 1-0 in the head-to-hear). Musetti’s only real challenge, on paper, even later in the draw will be Alex De Minaur, who he would fancy playing against in the quick Miami conditions of all the places.