MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff can roll out of her comfy bed in Delray Beach and arrive at Hard Rock Stadium for the Miami Open in an hour — sometimes less.

That is, if steady rain doesn’t make your trip a bit longer, as it likely did Friday, when tournament officials delayed the day’s matches until just after 5 p.m. Gauff’s opening match on Stadium Court against Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska was scheduled for noon, but began at about 5:15. Rain was forecast to return at night, but not before Gauff dominated Podoroska 6-1, 6-2.

A good night’s sleep never hurts when you’re the World No. 3 women’s tennis player chasing the ultimate ranking and going for that $1.1 million Miami Open singles championship money — even if your beloved 10-year-old brother Cameron can be annoying at times.

“I had to text him this morning to, like, ‘Stop screaming,’ “ Gauff, 20, said earlier this week. “He was playing a game and he said he was sorry. Other than that, it’s really nice and refreshing.’’

Other headliners who were scheduled to play Friday included defending men’s champion and No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev; Australian Open champion and No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner; former No. 1 Andy Murray; and American Taylor Fritz, the No. 12 seed.

Among the top women scheduled for Friday were world No. 1 Iga Swiatek; No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka; No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula; and Naomi Osaka.

Sabalenka also began playing just after 5 p.m. against No. 80 Paula Badosa of Spain on the grandstand. She competed for the first time since the death of her ex-boyfriend, who jumped from the balcony of a Bal Harbour hotel on Sunday night. She wore an all-black outfit, and was not expected to be available for interviews. She also won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.

Sabalenka previously released a statement that said her “heart is broken’’ and asked the public to respect her privacy “during this difficult time.’’

Gauff addressed the Miami Open media on Wednesday, discussing her family and birthday celebration and “expectations’’ — or lack thereof — for the 2024 Olympics. She missed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19 at age 17. At that point she was ranked No. 25.

“Expectations, I don’t have any because I don’t know what to expect,’’ Gauff said. “The 2020 Olympics, it was COVID, so I really don’t know what the full experience is like. The goal is obviously to medal and hopefully come home with gold. I really want to enjoy the experience and not make it so much pressure as maybe other tournaments — especially the first time around.”

...continued

©2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.