5 ATP greats who never won the Miami Open: ft Rafael Nadal, Stefan Edberg
The Miami Open has become one of the most prestigious titles in tennis since the inaugural event four decades ago, with several tennis icons lifting the title.
However, some of the ATP Tour’s biggest stars found themselves unable to triumph in Florida.
Here, focusing on players competing in their prime after 1985, we look at five of the best players to never lift the Miami Open title.
Rafael Nadal
Best Result: RU 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017
Tennis icon and 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal is one of the most successful tennis players in ATP history, though the Miami Open was one of the few titles to evade his grasp.
Nadal reached the final for the first time in 2005 and led great rival Roger Federer by two sets, only to be beaten 2-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1 by the Swiss.
The Spaniard then returned to the final three years later in 2008 but was beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Nikolay Davydenko, before a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) defeat to Novak Djokovic in 2011.
Nadal lost to Djokovic again in the 2014 final, falling 6-3, 6-3, before a 6-3, 6-4 defeat to Federer in his fifth and last final in 2017.
It is one of just two Masters 1000 events he never won, alongside the Paris Masters.
Stefan Edberg
Best Result: RU 1990
Swedish star Edberg won six Grand Slam titles and spent an impressive 72 weeks as the world No 1, but, competing in a hugely competitive era of men’s tennis, was unable to triumph in Miami.
Edberg’s best result at the tournament came in 1990, with the third seed defeating Jakob Hlasek in the quarter-finals and 15th seed Emilio Sanchez in the last four to reach the final.
However, the Swede was beaten in four sets by fifth seed Andre Agassi, the American battling his way to a 6-1, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 victory to claim the first of a joint record six Miami Open titles.
Edberg reached further Miami semi-finals in 1986 and 1991, though he lost to compatriot Mats Wilander and David Wheaton, respectively.
Boris Becker
Best Result: R4 1992
Becker was one of the most accomplished players of his generation, matching Edberg with six Grand Slam titles and winning 49 career titles overall.
However, strangely enough, Becker was never able to produce his best tennis in Miami – despite winning an impressive 13 Masters 1000 titles across his career.
The German’s best showing in Miami was a sole run to the fourth round in 1992, where the third seed was beaten by 20th seed and eventual finalist Alberto Mancini in three sets.
Becker was beaten once in the first round and five times in the second round across his eight tournament appearances, holding an 8-6 record for the event.
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Gustavo Kuerten
Best Result: RU 2000
Though three-time French Open champion Kuerten is best known for his clay success, the Brazilian did find some success on hard courts, winning the Cincinnati Open and ATP Finals on the surface.
And the former world No 1 also performed well at the Miami Open, though he was not quite able to triumph at the Masters 1000 tournament.
Kuerten embarked on an impressive run to the final in 2000, dispatching top seed Andre Agassi 6-1, 6-4 in the semi-final before a tight 6-1, 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(8) defeat to home favourite Pete Sampras.
The Brazilian was also a quarter-finalist at the event back in 1998, losing in the last eight to Tim Henman.
Lleyton Hewitt
Best Result: SF 2000-02
One of the leading players of the early 2000s, two-time Grand Slam champion Hewitt is probably among the best players to never reach the Miami Open final.
The Australian lost three straight semi-finals at the tournament, starting in 2000 – where the 14th seed was beaten 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 by second seed and eventual champion Sampras.
Twelve months later, Hewitt returned to the semi-final only to fall 7-5, 6-4 to 19th seed Jan-Michael Gambill – who he had beaten at the event a year earlier.
Hewitt was the world No 1 and top seed at the event in 2002 but was handed a third consecutive semi-final loss by Roger Federer, the Swiss prevailing 6-3, 6-4.
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