The women’s title at the 2022 Miami Open will feature, in my opinion, the two best women’s players in the world.

On paper, Osaka’s ranking is #77. However, we all know Osaka’s ranking is not representative of her talent or stature in the game. Obviously, she’s taken some time off, which caused her ranking to slip. However, she’s 100% back and committed. It’s kind of ironic that Osaka is back and Barty decides to retire. No matter though, Osaka will now meet Iga Swiatek, who on paper is the new number one player in the world.

Given these two women’s stature in the game, this match could potentially set the tone for either player’s dominance of the WTA for the next year. If Osaka wins, she’d gain confidence in knowing that she just beat the number one player in the world in a big time final. That could potentially set Osaka up for another fabulous run through Wimbledon and the US hard court swing that culminates at the US Open, a tournament she’s won twice.

If Iga Swiatek wins, she will have solidified her stature as the current undisputed number one and will set the tone for the rest of her season as well. This would be especially sweet for her given that the French Open is right around the corner. Imagine Iga going into the French Open having recently won both Indian Wells and Miami.

So, who will win? I’m going to have to go with Swiatek. She has made some massive improvements in her game. From a fitness perspective, she looks explosive. From a strokes perspective, she’s playing more aggressively. Those two factors will be hard to contend with as she faces Osaka. Osaka will have to blow her off the court, and I just don’t see that happening. Swiatek wins in straight sets.

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