The WTA Miami Open gets underway at Hard Rock Stadium, the second leg of the Sunshine Double, following Indian Wells. While the top seeds have received byes, there’s still plenty of intriguing first-round action to get stuck into on Day 2. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule. But who will advance?

WTA Miami Day 2 Predictions
Emiliana Arango vs Oksana Selekhmeteva

Head-to-Head: First meeting

Selekhmeteva broke into the Top 100 for the first time last year, picking up a pair of WTA 125 titles along the way, and has carried that momentum into 2026 with an 8-5 record so far. She’s a left-handed baseliner who can be hard to read, and hard courts have been her most productive surface at Tour-level. Arango, the Colombian veteran, is a solid competitor who has spent years grinding on the WTA circuit, but she’s been inconsistent on hard courts and hasn’t strung together any serious results in recent months. Selekhmeteva’s combination of confidence, upward trajectory, and slightly sharper hard-court form makes her the pick to come through this one.
Prediction: Selekhmeteva in 2

Ann Li vs Kimberly Birrell

Head-to-Head: Li 1–0 Birrell

The one previous meeting between them went Li’s way at the Singapore Open earlier this year, a tight tiebreak affair across two sets. Birrell has been in excellent shape in 2026, going 15-8 on the season with semifinal appearances at Adelaide and Austin, and she’s been particularly sharp on hard courts. She reached the qualifying final here in Miami before earning her main-draw spot. Li is a capable player who competes hard but has been inconsistent at the top level. Birrell’s volume of wins and her strong preparation coming into this tournament give her the edge, even with the head-to-head against her.
Prediction: Birrell in 3

Solana Sierra vs Kamilla Rakhimova

Head-to-Head: Rakhimova 1–0 Sierra 

Sierra and Rakhimova have actually met this year already, with Rakhimova taking that encounter in straight sets back in February. Sierra’s 2026 results tell a difficult story, though she can pick up wins against lower-ranked opposition. Rakhimova enters this match having navigated a tough qualifying campaign, beating Leolia Jeanjean in three sets to make the main draw.  The head-to-head edge, combined with Rakhimova’s competitive recent form and the fact she’s already proven she can handle Sierra this season, make the Uzbek the logical pick here.
Prediction: Rakhimova in 2

Venus Williams vs Francesca Jones

Head-to-Head: First meeting

Williams has lost eight matches in a row and is still searching for a first win of 2026. Jones, meanwhile, has dropped her last four, with her early season quarter-final in Auckland now a distant memory.  It’s a curious match-up given the form of both players. At the Australian Open, Williams let a 4-0 lead in the third set slip, and at Indian Wells she pushed Diane Parry hard before fading in the decider. The five-time Grand Slam champion can still compete at this level–the problem is converting those chances. If Jones’ serve remains a liability, Williams has enough big-match resilience to take advantage of that, and given how poor Jones’ serving form is right now, this could finally be the win that ends the losing run.
Prediction: Williams in 3​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Main Photo Credit: Syndication: Desert Sun/USAToday Images