College basketball does not have a monopoly on March madness; professional tennis does too. The ATP and WTA tours will converge twice over the coming weeks at two premiere events - the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and the Miami Open – aka the sunshine double.

Outside of the four grand slam tournaments, these two twelve day events reign supreme. On the ATP and WTA Tours, they are classified as Masters 1000 and Premiere Mandatory events, respectively. Prestige and one thousand precious ranking points are awarded the victor of each event.

Last March, two-time grand slam champion Victoria Azarenka pulled off an incredible feat by winning both tournaments but due to the recent birth of her first child, will be unable to defend those titles.

Only two other women have accomplished this extraordinary feat – Kim Clijsters- who will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame this July - won both tournaments in 2005 while twenty-two-time grand slam champion Steffi Graff did it twice (1994 & 1996)!

Serena Williams, having recently captured a record-breaking twenty-third grand slam singles title at the Australian Open in addition to the number one ranking, unquestionably is motivated to finally add the sunshine double to her illustrious resume.

Unfortunately, she will be unable to do so this season due to an injury to her left knee. She has withdrawn from both Indian Wells and the Miami Open and as a result will relinquish the number one ranking to Angelique Kerber.

Will Angelique Kerber, the reigning US Open champion, regain the form that propelled her to the number one ranking last fall and stake her claim at these prestigious spring events or will the young Ukrainian and newest member to the WTA top ten, Elina Svitolina, ride the momentum of her recent victory in Dubai and contend for the trophies on these outdoor hardcourts?

To fully appreciate how difficult it is to win even one of the two Masters 1000 events, look no further than 14-time grand slam champion Rafa Nadal for despite reaching four finals, he never won the Miami Open. Only six men have won both titles in succession and incredibly, two have done it twice!

There was a time in the not so distant past when American men dominated the ATP World Tour. Several of those players – all members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame - excelled at Indian Wells and Miami and completed the sunshine double. Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras join Marcelo Rios, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic as members of this exceptionally elite club.

The reigning Australian Open champion Roger Federer, was unable to convert the three match points he amassed before losing in three sets to a qualifier on a hardcourt in Dubai while the reigning Indian Wells and Miami Open champion Novak Djokovic, lost in straight sets to the always unpredictable Aussie, Nick Krygios on a hardcourt in Mexico.

Federer and Djokovic have defied the odds and left their mark with their astounding records at these masters 1000 events. The Swiss maestro won the Miami Open twice, Indian Wells four times and completed the sunshine double twice and consecutively in 2005 & 2006.

Former world number one Novak Djokovic has surpassed Federer’s bi-coastal accomplishments with five titles at Indian Wells, six in Miami and four sunshine doubles – three of which are consecutive – 2014, 2015 & 2016.

Will Federer and Djokovic- two hardcourt magicians - regroup and summon the motivation and perseverance requisite to reclaim these master 1000 events or will a resurgent Rafa Nadal – a finalist in Acapulco this weekend or world number one Andy Murray – a first time winner at the Dubai Duty Free Championships - rewrite the history books on the west and east coasts?

It’s quite feasible that new champions will emerge this spring in the California desert and Floridian heat but this much is certain: it will take physical as well as mental stamina to survive the next four weeks and claim two of the sport’s most prestigious titles.