4 dark horses to win Miami Open 2025 men's singles title ft. Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime

The 2025 Miami Open is scheduled from March 16 to 30. The men's side has shifted considerably as last year's champion Jannik Sinner will be out of action this year due to his doping ban.

Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz will be the top two seeds at the event. They will be closely followed by former champion and seventh seed Daniil Medvedev, former runner-up and fifth seed Casper Ruud, and six-time champion Novak Djokovic.

However, let's look at some of the dark horses who have an outside chance of winning the title.

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#4. Hubert Hurkacz

In Picture: Hubert Hurkacz (Getty)

21st-seeded Hubert Hurkacz will be one of the dark horses at the 2025 Miami Open. The Pole is a former champion, having won the title in 2021.

Back in 2021, Hurkacz put together a splendid campaign in Miami, overcoming three Top 10 seeds- Denis Shapovalov (sixth seed), Stefanos Tsitsipas (second seed), and Andrey Rublev (fourth seed) to reach the final. In the summit clash, he overcame the World No. 1, Jannik Sinner, winning 7-6 (4), 6-4.

The Pole has an overall 79 percent win record at Miami. However, 2025 has been average so far for the former World No. 6 as he has a modest 7-7 record in the season. His best was a semifinal run at the ABN Amro Open, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

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#3. Grigor Dimitrov

In picture: Grigor Dimitrov (Getty)

Last year's finalist, Grigor Dimitrov, has a decent chance of going one step further in Miami this year. The Bulgarian has been riddled with injuries this season, with three retirement losses already in 2025.

However, last year, the Bulgarian was in fine form, as he overcame eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz, top seed Carlos Alacarz, and fourth-seed Alexander Zverev in a three-set thriller in the semifinal. In the final, he fell to second seed Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

However, Dimitrov's physical condition will be the biggest obstacle for the 14th seed. At Indian Wells, a taxing third-round match against Gael Monfils left him with nothing in the tank to face Alcaraz in the next round. If the Bulgarian can get a few easy wins in the first week, he will have more than a decent chance in Miami, as the faster courts will enable his shotmaking and one-handed backhand.

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#2. Felix Auger-Aliassime

In Picture: Felix Auger-Aliassime (Getty)

Felix Auger-Aliassime is one of the most in-form players on the ATP tour in 2025. The Canadian has reached three finals already in the year and won two titles.

The former Top-10 player started his season with a title at the Adelaide International, with a win over Sebastian Korda in the final. He then won the Open Occitanie with another three-set thriller against Aleksandar Kovacevic in the final. He reached a third final in the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships, losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The Canadian has not found success at the Masters 1000 level, with one final appearance in Madrid last year. However, considering his form, a favorable draw might help him to get the title in Miami.

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#1. Ben Shelton

13th-seeded Ben Shelton is one of the most prominent dark horses at the 2025 Miami Open. The big-hitting left-hander has always fared well at events in the US, as the crowd support makes him play better.

Shelton has had a good outing in 2025 so far, with a 10-5 win-loss for the year. He reached the semifinal of the Australian Open and the quarterfinal in the BNP Paribas Open. He lost to eventual champions Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper, respectively.

However, in Miami, the slightly faster surface will make the 150 mph serves of Shelton more effective than they were on the slower surface at Indian Wells. If the American can make some adjustments to his return games and is a bit more intelligent in his shot-making, Shelton may break through the Top 10 with a deep run in Miami.