British No.1 Katie Boulter has been largely inactive this season, rocked by a foot injury following her 2nd round defeat at the Aussie Open.
2025 WTA Tour
WTA 1000
Miami Open
Miami Gardens, Florida (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 128 Matches- 18th March
Katie Boulter 0.92 vs Peyton Stearns 0.86
British No.1 Katie Boulter has been largely inactive this season, rocked by a foot injury following her 2nd round defeat at the Aussie Open. She returned to action at Indian Wells, beating Irina Camelia-Begu in three sets before being ousted by Elena Rybakina. So, she will bring a 4-3 record into this event (she did help Great Britin reach the quarterfinals of the United Cup). Boulter enjoyed an excellent 2024 campaign, winning two titles (San Diego and Nottingham) and reaching another final (Hong Kong). Boulter reached a career-high ranking of 23 in the aftermath of that runner-up finish in Hong Kong. She has improved immensely over the last 12 months or so, becoming much more rally-resistant and mobile. She shook off some rust at Indian Wells and should feel more comfortable on these quicker surfaces.
Hard-hitting American Peyton Stearns has been quite busy this season, amassing a 5-8 record coming into this event. Those stats betray some of the tennis she has been playing. She lost in the first round of the Aussie Open, pushing 8th seed Emma Navarro to three sets in a brutal back-and-forth encounter. She also lost to Badosa in three sets during the Adelaide International. Stearns looked particularly impressive in Dubai, taking down Ons Jabeur and Qinwen Zheng before running into eventual champ- and current darling of the tour- Mirra Andreeva. She struggled in the slower Indian Wells conditions, going down to Magda Linette in three sets. Stearns will be looking to break a three-match losing streak this week. Stearns has a megawatt forehand that can come alive in the right conditions. I think these courts should play similarly to Dubai and it may bring out the best in the American.
The Verdict: Stearns to win in straight sets at 1.8- Stearns leads the head-to-head 2-0, winning their most recent encounter at the 2023 US Open. I think that the battle-hardened Stearns should have the edge this week (regardless of Boulter’s superior ranking). She has gone toe-to-toe with some elite players this season and I think her forehand could be the key to victory.
