As this tennis season continues its course, fans of the sport now turn to the next highly-anticipated tournament: the Miami Open. Held every late March at the Hard Rock Stadium, this tournament attracts tennis fans from all over the U.S and worldwide.
Like its predecessors, this year’s tournament will display fierce competition, a broad range of talent and state-of-the-art facilities for players and audiences alike.
For several University of Miami students, the Miami Open is a highlight of their spring semester.
“My family and I have been going to the Miami Open since I was a kid,” freshman biology major Emma Tews said. “I get excited every March knowing these players I looked up to when I was younger will be so close to me.”
The Miami Open offers a two-week experience where each day consists of different men’s, women’s and doubles matches. The tournament officially starts on Sunday, March 17 with the women’s qualifying rounds.
Each day gets more competitive as the best go head-to-head for each match and players are gradually eliminated. The women’s final will be held on Saturday, March 30, and the men’s on Sunday, March 31.
“I’m excited for the finals,” Macias said. “I think it’s going to be an Alcaraz and Djokovich showdown which is always pretty interesting.”
This year, wheelchair tennis and Major League Pickleball will also be part of the open, marking the first time both events will take place at any 1000 series tournament.
“I’m glad the Miami Open added these events,” sophomore finance major Maria Amaro said. “It shows an effort to diversify and make the tournament more inclusive.”
The annual tennis tournament continues to display the world’s top tennis talent and spotlight emerging players. Attendees this year can expect to see renowned stars of the sport such as Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and many more.
“Since I grew up playing tennis, it was really special for me to watch these players every year,” Tews said. “Although the tournament is held at a farther venue than where it was when I was a kid, my family and I still make an effort to go.”
Since 2019, the Miami Open has been held at the Hard Rock Stadium instead of its original location at the Crandon Park Tennis Center. When this switch was made, many fans of the tournament were disappointed to know they would have to drive extra miles to attend.
“I don’t like how far it is,” freshman finance major Samuel Macias said. “But it’s like going to a UM football game — you sacrifice an hour or so of driving to end up getting a good experience.”
Attendees will also get to enjoy state-of-the-art cuisine as some of Miami’s finest restaurants host pop-ups around the stadium. Some of these restaurants include David Chang’s Fuku, Kiki on the River and Ella’s Oyster Bar.
“I’m really excited to go this year,” Macias said. “The other times I’ve gone have been a lot of fun, and there’s so much to do and see besides watching the matches.”
The Miami Open is a major event on the tennis calendar and an exciting opportunity for South Florida residents to see some of the world’s top talent in action.
Tickets are being sold on the Miami Open website. Among the several ticket options are package deals for the full tournament, single session tickets, luxury seating tickets and many more.