JOEL DRUCKER: It’s extremely tough this year to determine if a man or woman will pull off the Sunshine Double. On the men’s side, the absence of Jannik Sinner removes tennis’ most dominant player of the last 15 months. Surely that will stir possibilities among many contenders, most likely for Carlos Alcaraz, who’s won each of these titles (Miami ’22, Indian Wells ’23-’24). As far as the WTA goes, Iga Swiatek was the last player—male or female—to pull off the Sunshine Double, a feat she accomplished in 2022. Certainly, she has the skills to do this again. But as Madison Keys’ victory in Australia proved, there’s always the possibility of a surprise. Amid a coin flip decision, I’ll say that in ’25, it’s more likely for an ATP player to earn these two titles.
DAVID KANE: The ATP’s top players may be historically more dominant, but the current crop of WTA stars have largely kept pace over the last 24 months and are all capable of hitting hot streaks. Iga Swiatek swept Indian Wells and Miami only three years ago and both Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are two of the tour’s premier hard-court players. Jannik Sinner’s presence might have made me inclined towards the ATP, but after quiet stints in the Middle East, any of the WTA’s Top 3 could catch fire and win both Indian Wells and Miami.
JON LEVEY: The betting odds on it happening on either tour should be just short of winning the lottery. As difficult as it has proven to achieve, the players themselves don’t seem all that driven to pull it off. Whoever wins in Indian Wells is justifiably satisfied when they get to Miami, and often decide to hit eject before even hitting their first ball. If the double is to be a reality, Jannik Sinner’s absence makes an ATP player a likelier candidate. Not only does Sinner sit atop the rankings, but he’s without question the best hard-courter. That’s a gaping hole in both draws that an in-form player riding a hot streak (Alcaraz or Zverev?) could take advantage of.
