World number one Carlos Alcaraz made an emphatic start to his Miami Open title defence, defeating Argentina's Facundo Bagnis 6-0, 6-2 on Friday.

The 19-year-old Spaniard, the youngest ever player to top the rankings, is looking to complete the "Sunshine Double" after beating Daniil Medvedev in last week's Indian Wells final.

Alcaraz made a blistering start winning the first 11 points of the match, with the 33-year-old Bagnis having no answer at all to the teenager's powerful serve.

There was a loud cheer from the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium when Bagnis, who has never beaten a top 20 ranked player, held serve in the second set and then broke Alcaraz to make it 2-2.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wpl-2023-mumbai-indians-issy-wong-takes-maiden-hat-trick-of-league-against-up-warriroz-watch-575524">WPL 2023: Mumbai Indians' Issy Wong takes maiden hat-trick of league against UP Warriroz - WATCH</a>

But that was a brief moment of respite for Bagnis rather than any shift in momentum and Alcaraz had no further problems as he blasted his way to victory in just 65 minutes.

"To start a new tournament is never easy, different conditions. I have to be ready to get used to these new conditions, but I was really focused on the match from the beginning, and I’m happy with the way that I played," said the Spaniard.

Alcaraz needs to win here to maintain his top spot in the rankings, will face either Serbian Dusan Lajovic or American Maxime Cressy in the third round.

After his win in Miami last year, Alcaraz boldly predicted he was ready to win a Grand Slam and he returns now having achieved that goal and, he concedes, as a different man.

"I grew up a lot since last year. It has been a great year for me as a player, as a person as well. I learned a lot of things, not only on court, also off the court, as well," he said.

His whirlwind year caught up with him physically - he had to miss January's Australian Open with a leg injury - &nbsp;and the Spaniard says he is now more careful about his physical condition.

"I have to take care about myself a little bit more off the court, taking care about going early to bed, to rest better, eat well, take care of myself off the court. That's the most important thing for me," he said.

<h2>Fritz advances</h2>

It was also a straightforward start to the tournament for America's top ranked player, world number 10 Taylor Fritz who saw off 21-year-old Californian Emilio Nava 6-4, 6-1.

Nava's ultra-attacking style had earned him an upset win over John Isner in the previous round and he hit some spectacular winners early against Fritz.

But Fritz kept his calm and with the first set under his belt, picked off Nava with ease in the second.

Fritz felt Nava, a promising talent, had made a common mistake of young arrivals on the tour.

"I think that he should just play his game more. In these type of matches I feel like he maybe felt like he had to play much higher than his capacity in this match," he said.

"Just the way he was just kind of going for winners off everything in the first set. It was working, but it's tough to sustain. That's something that I did as well when I was a kid," he added.

Germany's Alexander Zverev's postive return to the tour after his ankle ligament injury, which saw him reach the last 16 at Indian Wells, was cut short by a straight sets 6-0, 6-4, loss to Japanese wildcard Taro Daniel.

The 13th seed Zverev, who has type one diabetes, had to take an insulin shot during the match as New York-born Daniel picked up another impressive win after his victory over Matteo Berrettini at Indian Wells and win over world number four Casper Ruud at the Mexican Open.

Ruud defeated Belarus's Ilya Ivashka 6-2, 6-3, while Italy's Jannik Sinner also progressed to the third round with a &nbsp;6-4, 6-2 victory against Laslo Djere.

After reaching the final in his Miami debut in 2021 and reaching the quarter-finals last year, the 21-year-old Italian will be looking to go deep again.

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World number one Carlos Alcaraz made an emphatic start to his Miami Open title defence, defeating Argentina's Facundo Bagnis 6-0, 6-2 on Friday. The 19-year-old Spaniard, the youngest ever player to top the rankings, is looking to complete the "Sunshine Double" after beating Daniil Medvedev in last week's Indian Wells final.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz made an emphatic start to his Miami Open title defence, defeating Argentina's Facundo Bagnis 6-0, 6-2 on Friday. The 19-year-old Spaniard, the youngest ever player to top the rankings, is looking to complete the "Sunshine Double" after beating Daniil Medvedev in last week's Indian Wells final. Alcaraz made a blistering start winning the first 11 points of the match, with the 33-year-old Bagnis having no answer at all to the teenager's powerful serve. There was a loud cheer from the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium when Bagnis, who has never beaten a top 20 ranked player, held serve in the second set and then broke Alcaraz to make it 2-2. Also Read: WPL 2023: Mumbai Indians' Issy Wong takes maiden hat-trick of league against UP Warriroz - WATCH But that was a brief moment of respite for Bagnis rather than any shift in momentum and Alcaraz had no further problems as he blasted his way to victory in just 65 minutes. "To start a new tournament is never easy, different conditions. I have to be ready to get used to these new conditions, but I was really focused on the match from the beginning, and I’m happy with the way that I played," said the Spaniard. Alcaraz needs to win here to maintain his top spot in the rankings, will face either Serbian Dusan Lajovic or American Maxime Cressy in the third round. After his win in Miami last year, Alcaraz boldly predicted he was ready to win a Grand Slam and he returns now having achieved that goal and, he concedes, as a different man. "I grew up a lot since last year. It has been a great year for me as a player, as a person as well. I learned a lot of things, not only on court, also off the court, as well," he said. His whirlwind year caught up with him physically - he had to miss January's Australian Open with a leg injury - and the Spaniard says he is now more careful about his physical condition. "I have to take care about myself a little bit more off the court, taking care about going early to bed, to rest better, eat well, take care of myself off the court. That's the most important thing for me," he said. Fritz advances It was also a straightforward start to the tournament for America's top ranked player, world number 10 Taylor Fritz who saw off 21-year-old Californian Emilio Nava 6-4, 6-1. Nava's ultra-attacking style had earned him an upset win over John Isner in the previous round and he hit some spectacular winners early against Fritz. But Fritz kept his calm and with the first set under his belt, picked off Nava with ease in the second. Fritz felt Nava, a promising talent, had made a common mistake of young arrivals on the tour. "I think that he should just play his game more. In these type of matches I feel like he maybe felt like he had to play much higher than his capacity in this match," he said. "Just the way he was just kind of going for winners off everything in the first set. It was working, but it's tough to sustain. That's something that I did as well when I was a kid," he added. Germany's Alexander Zverev's postive return to the tour after his ankle ligament injury, which saw him reach the last 16 at Indian Wells, was cut short by a straight sets 6-0, 6-4, loss to Japanese wildcard Taro Daniel. The 13th seed Zverev, who has type one diabetes, had to take an insulin shot during the match as New York-born Daniel picked up another impressive win after his victory over Matteo Berrettini at Indian Wells and win over world number four Casper Ruud at the Mexican Open. Ruud defeated Belarus's Ilya Ivashka 6-2, 6-3, while Italy's Jannik Sinner also progressed to the third round with a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Laslo Djere. After reaching the final in his Miami debut in 2021 and reaching the quarter-finals last year, the 21-year-old Italian will be looking to go deep again. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Tennis: Defending champ Carlos Alcaraz into third round of Miami Open

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said that he has "a great deal of confidence in the Australian public" that Novak Djokovic would be welcomed back to the country nearly a year after the Serb was deported from Australia for not being vaccinated against COVID-19. Djokovic arrived in Australia on Tuesday (December 27), ahead of his bid for a 10th men's singles title at next month's Australian Open. In November, the Australian government granted the Serbian a visa to travel to the Grand Slam event, saying it had decided to revoke the decision to cancel Djokovic's visa after considering all relevant factors.

Since the cancellation of Djokovic's visa in January 2022, all COVID-related border restrictions have been removed in Australia, including the requirement to provide evidence of vaccination status to enter the country. Tiley, speaking in Melbourne on Tuesday, said: "We're a very well-educated sporting public, particularly those who come to the&nbsp;tennis, they love their&nbsp;tennis, they love seeing greatness, they love seeing great athleticism, great matches. "And I have a lot of confidence that the fans will react like we hope they would react and have respect for that."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-2023-australian-open-be-rafael-nadals-last-appearance-in-melbourne-spaniard-reveals-547330">Will 2023 Australian Open be Rafael Nadal's last at Melbourne Park? Spaniard reveals</a>

The former world number one won the season-ending ATP Finals last month and victory at the Australian Open would bring him level with Rafa Nadal on 22 Grand Slam titles. The 2023 Australian Open takes place at Melbourne Park from Jan. 16-29.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said that he has "a great deal of confidence in the Australian public" that Novak Djokovic would be welcomed back to the country nearly a year after the Serb was deported from Australia for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said that he has "a great deal of confidence in the Australian public" that Novak Djokovic would be welcomed back to the country nearly a year after the Serb was deported from Australia for not being vaccinated against COVID-19. Djokovic arrived in Australia on Tuesday (December 27), ahead of his bid for a 10th men's singles title at next month's Australian Open. In November, the Australian government granted the Serbian a visa to travel to the Grand Slam event, saying it had decided to revoke the decision to cancel Djokovic's visa after considering all relevant factors. Since the cancellation of Djokovic's visa in January 2022, all COVID-related border restrictions have been removed in Australia, including the requirement to provide evidence of vaccination status to enter the country. Tiley, speaking in Melbourne on Tuesday, said: "We're a very well-educated sporting public, particularly those who come to the tennis, they love their tennis, they love seeing greatness, they love seeing great athleticism, great matches. "And I have a lot of confidence that the fans will react like we hope they would react and have respect for that." Also read: Will 2023 Australian Open be Rafael Nadal's last at Melbourne Park? Spaniard reveals The former world number one won the season-ending ATP Finals last month and victory at the Australian Open would bring him level with Rafa Nadal on 22 Grand Slam titles. The 2023 Australian Open takes place at Melbourne Park from Jan. 16-29.

Australian Open: Tournament director Craig Tiley confident Novak Djokovic will be well received

Swiss maestro Roger Federer's last appearance came in Wimbledon 2021, where he bowed out of the showpiece event in the quarter-finals. Since then, the former World number one has been missing from action. Despite being out of action, Federer still hogs the headlines as he has been named the highest-paid tennis player for the 17th year in a row (since 2005), as revealed by Forbes.

The list continues to be headed by Argentina captain and Paris Saint Germain (PSG) Lionel Messi whereas the likes of LeBron James (2nd spot) Cristiano Ronaldo (3rd spot), Neymar (4th spot), Stephen Curry (5th spot) make the top-five. Here's the top ten of the highest-paid athletes:

1. Lionel Messi - $130 million

2. LeBron James - $121.2 million

3. Cristiano Ronaldo - $115 million

4. Neymar - $95 million

5. Stephen Curry - $92.8 million

6. Kevin Durant - $92.1 million

7. Roger Federer - $90.7 million

8. Canelo Alvarez - $90 million

9. Tom Brady - $83.9 million

10. Giannis Antetokounmpo - $80.9 million

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cristiano-ronaldo-brutally-axed-by-man-united-manager-erik-ten-hag-infront-of-entire-squad-report-510275">Cristiano Ronaldo brutally 'axed' by Man United manager Erik Ten Hag infront of entire squad: Report</a>

Talking about Federer, it is to be noted that the 20-time Grand Slam winner was out of action but still raked in an approximate $90 million before taxes and agents' fees over the last year to top the list among the tennis players, with the heavy amount coming in the form of "endorsements, appearances and other business endeavours". 
 
Among the female tennis players, Naomi Osaka (19th spot) and Serena Williams (31st position) are the top two. Soon-to-retire Williams&nbsp;earned a whopping $35.1 million this year, going past former men's number one&nbsp;Rafael Nadal ($31.4 million) and Novak Djokovic ($27.1 million). Among the top-ten tennis players, Emma Raducanu (sixth), Daniil Medvedev (seventh),&nbsp;Kei Nishikori,&nbsp;Venus Williams and&nbsp;Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz complete the top 10 respectively.

Overall, the top-50 list features Tiger Woods (14th spot), Lewis Hamilton (17th), Max Verstappen (21st), Phil Mickelson (joint-31st with Serena), Mohammad Salah (33rd), Frenchman Kylian Mbappe and Conor McGregor (35th), Jake Paul (46th).&nbsp;

Swiss maestro Roger Federer's last appearance came in Wimbledon 2021, where he bowed out of the showpiece event in the quarter-finals. Since then, the former World number one has been missing from action.

Swiss maestro Roger Federer's last appearance came in Wimbledon 2021, where he bowed out of the showpiece event in the quarter-finals. Since then, the former World number one has been missing from action. Despite being out of action, Federer still hogs the headlines as he has been named the highest-paid tennis player for the 17th year in a row (since 2005), as revealed by Forbes. The list continues to be headed by Argentina captain and Paris Saint Germain (PSG) Lionel Messi whereas the likes of LeBron James (2nd spot) Cristiano Ronaldo (3rd spot), Neymar (4th spot), Stephen Curry (5th spot) make the top-five. Here's the top ten of the highest-paid athletes: 1. Lionel Messi - $130 million 2. LeBron James - $121.2 million 3. Cristiano Ronaldo - $115 million 4. Neymar - $95 million 5. Stephen Curry - $92.8 million 6. Kevin Durant - $92.1 million 7. Roger Federer - $90.7 million 8. Canelo Alvarez - $90 million 9. Tom Brady - $83.9 million 10. Giannis Antetokounmpo - $80.9 million ALSO READ | Cristiano Ronaldo brutally 'axed' by Man United manager Erik Ten Hag infront of entire squad: Report Talking about Federer, it is to be noted that the 20-time Grand Slam winner was out of action but still raked in an approximate $90 million before taxes and agents' fees over the last year to top the list among the tennis players, with the heavy amount coming in the form of "endorsements, appearances and other business endeavours". Among the female tennis players, Naomi Osaka (19th spot) and Serena Williams (31st position) are the top two. Soon-to-retire Williams earned a whopping $35.1 million this year, going past former men's number one Rafael Nadal ($31.4 million) and Novak Djokovic ($27.1 million). Among the top-ten tennis players, Emma Raducanu (sixth), Daniil Medvedev (seventh), Kei Nishikori, Venus Williams and Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz complete the top 10 respectively. Overall, the top-50 list features Tiger Woods (14th spot), Lewis Hamilton (17th), Max Verstappen (21st), Phil Mickelson (joint-31st with Serena), Mohammad Salah (33rd), Frenchman Kylian Mbappe and Conor McGregor (35th), Jake Paul (46th).

Roger Federer highest-paid tennis player in Forbes' list of athletes with Lionel Messi at top

You may agree or disagree with the disqualification Novak Djokovic at the U.S. open. But, there is a lesson to learn for everyone - the importance of staying calm.

Gravitas: Food for thought: The need to stay calm

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Tennis: Defending champ Carlos Alcaraz into third round of Miami Open

Australian Open: Tournament director Craig Tiley confident Novak Djokovic will be well received

Roger Federer highest-paid tennis player in Forbes' list of athletes with Lionel Messi at top

Gravitas: Food for thought: The need to stay calm