Aryna Sabalenka’s preparation for the Miami Open presented by Itaú was, perhaps, not ideal.

“I guess a couple espresso martinis, probably, and Five Guys to go,” Sabalenka said after winning the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday. “Basically, that’s why I’m never in good shape. And that’s it, because the schedule is really tight and we’re on to the next one. I cannot relax too much, because I’m defending champion there, and also, it’s Miami.

“I love being there, playing there, so I want to do well there, as well. So I will try to stay loose but focused. I guess it’s going into the balancing everything, so I will try to balance it the best way possible.”

Miami, which happens to be Sabalenka’s primary residence, constitutes a home game. This could prove helpful because winning back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami is extremely difficult.

Only four women have done it: Steffi Graf (1994, 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005), Victoria Azarenka (2016) and, most recently, Iga Swiatek (2022).

The closest anyone has come since was Elena Rybakina three years ago. She reached the Miami final but lost to Petra Kvitova in a 16-14 tiebreak and ultimately fell 7-6 (14), 6-2.

Martina Navratilova won the first Miami Open in 1985 and carved out the best-ever tournament success rate — 12-1, .923. The Sunshine Double, which she never achieved, is elusive for many reasons.

“I think it’s just because it’s tough fields, the biggest and the best,” Navratilova said. “And then there’s the adjustment as far as weather and the courts. It just weighs you down. With back-to-back two-week events, it’s tough to stay on top of it for so long, physically or emotionally. 

“It’s a longer stretch of engagement.”

Believe us, we here at the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz are engaged for the incoming Miami Open, where main-draw play begins Tuesday.

Compelling quarters

Because Rybakina didn’t rise to No. 2 until Monday, she’s seeded third here and could meet Sabalenka in the top-half semifinals. It’s a loaded top quarter, with Zheng Qinwen and Madison Keys potential opponents in the fourth round.

The second quarter features Rybakina, No. 5 Jessica Pegula, No. 16 Naomi Osaka, No. 18 Iva Jovic and No. 24 Emma Raducanu.

Fellow Americans No. 4 Coco Gauff and No. 6 Amanda Anisimova headline the third quarter, joined by No. 12 Belinda Bencic, the Indian Wells mixed doubles champions, along with Flavio Cobolli, and No. 14 Linda Noskova, a singles semifinalist.

No. 2 Iga Swiatek could face No. 8 Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals — but not if No. 10 Victoria Mboko, No. 13 Karolina Muchova and No. 31 Alexandra Eala have anything to say about it.

Questions of youth

What to expect from:

·  The 21-year-old Indian Wells qualifier Talia Gibson, who won a total of six matches and made it all the way to the quarterfinals before falling to Linda Noskova?

·  The 20-year-old Filipina phenom Eala, who stunned Gauff in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open? Eala was a surprise semifinalist a year ago in Miami, but if she falls short of that this year she’ll be outside the Top 50.

·  The 19-year-old Mboko, who broke through last year with a WTA 1000 title in Montreal and gave World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka a serious go in the Indian Wells quarterfinals.

Questions of experience

It was tough sledding for some marquee players — by their relatively high standards — in the desert. What to expect from:

·  Gauff, who retired from that match against Eala down 6-2, 2-0 with a left arm injury?

·  Iga Swiatek, who after helping Poland to a United Cup title, lost a three-set quarterfinal to Elina Svitolina and is still looking to reach her first semifinal this year at a non-United Cup event?

·      Keys, who had 18 match-wins this time last year — and currently has seven after losing to Sonay Kartal in the third round at Indian Wells.

Wild cards

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams — a three-time champion in Miami — headlines the eight wild cards in play. Venus won those titles in a span of four years, from 1998-2001. She’s joined by 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens, former Australian Open finalist Jennifer Brady, who is coming back after a three-year sabbatical, and 2026 Indian Wells doubles champion Taylor Townsend.

Emerson Jones, a 17-year-old from Australia, and Lilly Tagger, 18, from Austria, represent the teenage contingent. Darja Vidmanova, a 23-year-old from Czechia, who won NCAA Div. 1 singles and doubles at Georgia, and 21-year-old American Ashlyn Krueger, a semifinalist in Austin, fill out the field.

Sisters’ fingerprints are all over the Miami Open

Since the event’s 1985 inauguration, Serena has won the Miami Open title eight times and reached 10 finals — the most of any woman. She had a pair of three-peats, from 2002-04 and 2013-15.

Williams, not surprisingly, has produced the most match-wins with a record of 76-9. Currently, Serena and sister Venus have appeared in the most matches here (85), but Venus will move ahead when she plays her first-round match later this week.

First-round matches we are SO here for

·  A pair of wild cards, the aforementioned Jennifer Brady and Sloane Stephens.

·  Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, 45, against Great Britain’s Francesca Jones, two decades younger.

·  No. 80-ranked and rising Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey versus Beatriz Haddad Maia.

·  Katerina Siniakova, a surprise fourth-rounder at Indian Wells, opposite Camila Osorio, ranked No. 61 and 10-5 for the year.

·  Sorana Cirstea, in her last season, against Zhang Shuai, a recent semifinalist in Merida.