Bia Haddad Maia Suffers Early Exit at Miami Open, Continues Season Struggles

Miami, FL – Brazil’s Bia Haddad Maia experienced a disappointing start to her Miami Open campaign, falling to Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The loss marks Haddad Maia’s ninth defeat in ten matches this season and continues a challenging stretch for the world No. 69.

Match Recap

Haddad Maia began the match strongly, holding serve and securing an early break to lead 2-0. However, Sonmez, ranked No. 83, quickly regained her composure and broke back, leveling the set at 2-2. The Turkish player continued to build momentum, capitalizing on Haddad Maia’s inconsistency to seize the first set 6-3 in 40 minutes.

Sonmez carried her momentum into the second set, winning the first four games. Despite a brief resurgence from Haddad Maia, who broke back to reduce the deficit to 4-1, Sonmez closed out the match with a dominant 6-2 victory.

Season Struggles Continue

This defeat adds to a difficult start to the season for Haddad Maia. With only one win in ten matches, the Brazilian is facing mounting pressure to turn her form around. The early exit at the Miami Open raises concerns about her performance heading into the clay court season.

Sonmez Advances

Zeynep Sonmez’s impressive performance earns her a spot in the second round of the Miami Open, where she will face No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic. Sonmez broke Haddad Maia’s serve seven times throughout the match, demonstrating her dominance on the court. WTA Tennis

Key Takeaways

• Bia Haddad Maia lost to Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Miami Open.
• This is Haddad Maia’s ninth loss in ten matches this season.
• Zeynep Sonmez will face Belinda Bencic in the second round.

The result underscores a challenging period for Haddad Maia, who will need to address her inconsistency to regain her competitive edge. ESPN Brazil Estadão