Who Will Win: Danielle Collins or Elena Rybakina, 2024 Miami ...

Rybakina looks to go one better than her 2023 finish, while Collins aims to take her farewell tour to new heights at the Hard Rock Stadium: who has the edge?

LIVAUDAIS: A finalist here last year, Elena Rybakina returned to Miami with question marks around her condition, having been forced to withdraw from Indian Wells due to illness. She wisely kept expectations in check during the early stages of the tournament—but it seems like the early arrival might have been a blessing in disguise for the No. 4 seed.

“I was not expecting honestly to be in the final, because I was not prepared that well for this tournament,” Rybakina told press on Thursday. “But really happy that I managed to battle through all these matches and be in the final again.”

READ MORE: Elena Rybakina survives Victoria Azarenka onslaught, edges into Miami Open final

While Rybakina may have been surprised by her level this fortnight, the signs were there that the Kazakh player could catch fire in South Florida. Before her illness, Rybakina was on a hot streak, capturing titles in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi and a run to the final in Doha. She’s also made up for any lost time on court in Miami, where she’s been pushed the distance in four of five matches—including a roller-coaster semifinal against No. 27 seed Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 (2).

In the final, she’s set to face an American for the third time this fortnight in Danielle Collins, having already dashed home hopes against Madison Keys, 6-3, 7-5, and Taylor Townsend, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4. Rybakina’s matches against Collins have historically been long battles—so expect another three-setter—but ultimately trend in her favor, with Rybakina owning the 3-1 lead. The level-headed Kazakh seems to have all the tools to keep her cool, play a big game and diffuse high-octane Collins to lift her third WTA 1000 trophy.