ATP Miami Prediction: Nick Kyrgios vs Mackenzie McDonald
March 19, 2025 at 02:00 PM EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: Nick Kyrgios +180 / Mackenzie McDonald -232
Nick Kyrgios and Mackenzie McDonald clash in the first round of the 2025 ATP Miami Open on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Here’s our Nick Kyrgios vs Mackenzie McDonald prediction. This preview will also include a Nick Kyrgios vs Mackenzie McDonald pick.
Nick Kyrgios Preview
Nick Kygios will play in his fourth tournament of 2025. So far, it has been a testing season for Kyrgios whose comeback has not gone to plan because of a recurring wrist injury.
He has lost in the first round in each tournament this season. He is coming off a retirement from Indian Wells where he competed bravely for a set and a half against Botic van de Zandschulp before leaving the court in tears after failing to finish the match.
Kyrgios is unclear how much he has left to give for the remainder of his career and it does appear he won’t stick around for long enough in his 30s. He turns 30 next month, an age where the physical decline tends to take shape for most players.
The Aussie has featured in five matches since the start of the 2023 season. First, he had had to deal with a knee injury that required surgery and then had to undergo a second surgery on his wrist that set him on the shelf for a considerable period in the last two years.
This will be his sixth main draw appearance in Miami. Kyrgios is a two-time semifinalist at this Masters 1000 event and will be remembered for playing one of the most incredible matches in Florida back in 2017 when he lost to Roger Federer in an epic three-setter.
Mackenzie McDonald Preview
Mackenzie McDonald is ranked 101st in the ATP rankings and will play in his fifth Miami Open main draw. McDonald has a lifetime record of six wins and four losses. He has defied the odds multiple times in this Masters event, beating Grigor Dimitrov and Matteo Berrettini in back-to-back seasons. But he last played in Miami two years ago when he made the third round.
McDonald has compiled a 15-7 record in 2025 and he’s done a lot of winning on the ATP Challenger Tour where he was a semifinalist in Oeiras, Portugal, and the finals in San Diego (lost to Spizzirri).
McDonald came through qualifying this past weekend to reach the Miami main draw, garnering wins over Nikoloz Basilashvili and Pavel Kotov. The American won one match in Indian Wells. Overall, he has tallied seven wins from his last nine matches.
Nick Kyrgios vs Mackenzie McDonald Head-To-Head
• Kyrgios and McDonald have played twice on the ATP Tour.
• The head-to-head is tied at 1-1, with McDonald winning their only hard-court meeting at the 2021 Citi Open in Washington D.C.
Nick Kyrgios vs Mackenzie McDonald Prediction
The end is nigh for Kyrgios. At least that’s what most die-hard fans are forecasting for his career. It’s going to take a lot of resolve, patience, and an incredible amount of luck for him to return to his glory days. He’s admitted that not a single athlete has returned to competition after undergoing the kind of wrist surgery he was put through.
Kyrgios opens as a massive underdog here at +180 in a tournament that he has lit up in the past. Right now, his wrist is an obvious weakness and Mcdonald is in terrific form. There’s no justification in backing Kyrgios here whatsoever.