miami open wild cards are now confirmed, putting Venus Williams back in the draw for what will be her 23rd appearance at the WTA 1000 tournament. The wild-card list also includes Sloane Stephens, Ashlyn Krueger, Taylor Townsend, Lilli Tagger, Jennifer Brady, Darja Vidmanova and Emerson Jones, with first-round play scheduled to start Tuesday, March 17 (ET) in Miami Gardens. The tournament is set to run through Sunday, March 29 (ET), and the late-stage additions immediately reshape the early-round spotlight.
Wild cards announced as Venus Williams headline returns to Miami Gardens
Venus Williams, 45, has been awarded a wild card into the final tournament of the Sunshine swing, placing the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion into next week’s WTA 1000 field in Miami Gardens. Williams is a three-time champion at this event, winning back-to-back titles in 1998 and 1999 and then again in 2001.
This will be Williams’ 23rd appearance after making her tournament debut in 1997. Her most recent appearance came two years ago, when she lost to Diana Shnaider in the first round.
Williams returned to the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz last season in Washington, D. C., but has yet to win a match in 2026.
Stephens, Krueger, Townsend and six more join the entry list
Sloane Stephens, a former US Open champion, also received a wild card. Stephens previously won this tournament in 2018, adding immediate intrigue to the opening rounds as she enters the draw outside the standard acceptance list.
The remaining wild cards were given to:
- Ashlyn Krueger, 21
- Taylor Townsend, a recent Austin finalist
- Lilli Tagger, the 2025 French Open girls’ champion
- Jennifer Brady, a former Australian Open finalist
- Darja Vidmanova, the 2025 NCAA singles champion
- Emerson Jones, a former junior No. 1
Krueger’s recent Miami Gardens resume stands out: she reached the Round of 16 last year after upsetting Elena Rybakina for the first Top 10 win of her career and also defeated Leylah Fernandez. Townsend, meanwhile, has come through qualifying each of the last two years to reach the third round, collecting wins over Elise Mertens and Yulia Putintseva along the way.
Brady is slated to make her fifth tournament appearance, though she has never won a match at the event. She returned to the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz this year after not playing since 2023, and she is also set to co-host a live performance of her podcast, The Player’s Box, on March 15 (ET) on the tournament grounds.
Schedule, defending champion, and what happens next
First-round action in Miami Gardens begins Tuesday, March 17 (ET), with the event running through Sunday, March 29 (ET). World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka enters as the defending champion.
Quick context: the tournament is the final stop of the Sunshine swing, and wild cards are used to add players into the main draw outside standard entry pathways. This year’s selections mix established champions and younger names with recent milestones.
What’s next: the next key updates will be the release of the draw and opening-round matchups, which will define the immediate path for the wild-card recipients. With the miami open about to begin, all eyes turn to who lands the first marquee assignment and which returning names can translate opportunity into early momentum once play starts March 17 (ET).
