MIAMI — The Miami Open men’s draw got underway Wednesday, and with world No. 1 and defending champion Yannik Sinner serving a suspension for failed drug tests, the spotlight turns to other stars such as Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion and six-time Miami Open winner (tied with Andre Agassi for the tournament record), was on the practice court Tuesday morning and already making headlines, three days before his first match.

The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA), a players’ union co-founded by Djokovic, on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against tennis’ governing bodies, citing “anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare.”

It was filed at the U.S. District Court in New York. The PTPA claims the ATP Tour, WTA Tour and International Tennis Federation violate U.S. antitrust laws.

“Professional tennis players are stuck in a rigged game,” according to the suit. “Not on the court, where fierce competition between players delights millions of fans worldwide, but off of it, where players are forced to endure grueling schedules, capped earnings, abusive and invasive investigations and discipline, and have limited control over their own careers and brands.”

The ATP, which governs men’s tennis, and the WTA, which oversees the women’s side, vehemently dismissed the allegations.

“We strongly reject the premise of the PTPA’s claims, believe the case to be entirely without merit, and will vigorously defend our position,” said the ATP statement. “While ATP has remained focused on delivering reforms that benefit players at multiple levels, the PTPA has consistently chosen division and distraction through misinformation of progress.”

The WTA response began with: “The PTPA’s action is both regrettable and misguided, and we will defend our position vigorously in due course.”

Meanwhile, on the tennis court, Djokovic aims to get back on track after three consecutive losses, his worst stretch since 2018. He is coming off a shocking 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 loss to 85th-ranked Botic Van De Zandschulp in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.

Djokovic has a history of great success in South Florida, but has not won the Miami Open since 2016, and has not played in it since 2019. He will not have an easy road to the final.

Djokovic, the fourth seed, could face Serbian countryman and rising star Hamad Medjedovic in his opening match Friday, and a third-round match against 32nd seed Alex Michelsen. If he reaches the quarterfinals, he might have to face No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev. Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also in his half of the draw.

Alcaraz, who won the Miami Open in 2023 and made the semis last year, is coming off a semifinal loss to Jack Draper at Indian Wells. It was the first Masters 1000 win for Draper, who moved into the top 10 and is the sixth seed in Miami.

On the women’s side, defending Miami Open champion Danielle Collins and 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, the sport’s latest phenom, had plenty to say during their media interviews.

Collins, the 31-year-old St. Petersburg native had her trusty, fluffy dog Quincy, also known as Mr. Q, by her side.

A year ago, she was ranked No. 53 and said she planned to retire at the end of the season. But the Miami Open title set off a 15-match winning streak and she finished the 2024 season ranked No. 11, the highest season-ending ranking of her career. Retirement would have to wait.

Through it all, Mr. Q kept her calm and grounded.

“We spend so much time traveling, 40-plus weeks of the year, tournament after tournament, a lot of high-pressure stakes, being away from friends and family, so any time you can bring family and friends, or pets, on tour, you go home at the end of the day feeling so much more relaxed,” Collins said.

“Quincy is like my little son. He keeps things fun, gets my mind off tennis and allows me to have a little normalcy in my life.”

Collins is enjoying her late-career success, and marveled at Andreeva, who upset No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Indian Wells final on Sunday becoming the tournament’s youngest champion since Serena Williams in 1999. She is also the youngest to win a WTA trophy by defeating a No. 1 player in a final since Maria Sharapova beat Lindsay Davenport in Tokyo in 2005.

Andreeva improved to 19-3 this season, the best record on the women’s tour, and won her second Masters 1000 title of the year. Her composure on and off the court are impressive, considering her age. She moved up from No. 11 to No. 6 in the world with the win.

“It’s super cool to see someone so physically and mentally dominant at such a young age,” Collins said of Andreeva. “Seeing the energy she plays with, the intensity, the passion, and not having a filter. And she’s still a kid, keeps it so fun.”

In her victory speech last weekend, she said: “I would like to thank myself for fighting until the end and for always believing in me and for never quitting.”

Andreeva, whose native language is Russian, speaks excellent English, is working on French fluency and is learning Spanish with her coach, 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez.

This is her first time in Miami since she won the Under 12s at the Orange Bowl tournament in 2019.

“I was very, very tiny,” she said, smiling. “I was very excited to come to Miami because it was my first time in the United States and coming to such a nice city was very memorable.”

She hopes to make more memories at the Miami Open.

“I feel a lot of adrenaline [coming from the Indian Wells title], and I still can’t believe it happened so fast,” she said. “It was one of my dreams to win a 1000 level tournament, and now that it already happened, I feel like, `What am I supposed to do now?’’’

The first round of the women’s draw began on Tuesday, and former No. 1 Naomi Osaka rallied to beat Yulia Starodubsteva of Ukraine 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. American Alycia Parks also advanced with a 3-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-3 win over Varvara Gracheva of France.

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