Work has begun on a new venue for the Miami Open tennis tournament on the site of Hard Rock Stadium, home of NFL American football team the Miami Dolphins.
The tournament is due to be hosted at the stadium from next year, and a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday (Monday) was attended by Serena Williams – an eight-time winner of the event.
A deal to host the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium was struck in December after doubts had emerged over the tournament’s future in South Florida.
The tournament has been held at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on Key Biscayne since 1987. This year’s event – the final edition at Crandon Park – got underway yesterday. Restrictions surrounding the regeneration of Crandon Park had put the tournament in doubt before Dolphins owner Stephen Ross stepped in to to keep the event in Miami.
Temporary facilities are set to be built in Hard Rock Stadium’s car park, with the stadium itself also due to host showpiece matches.
Williams was joined by Ross, tournament director James Blake, and co-president of WME/IMG Mark Shapiro at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Ross said, according to the Associated Press news agency: “Mark thought I was crazy – ’What do you mean? It’s a football stadium?’
“Most people when I spoke to them about the idea said, ’It’s crazy. It’s not going to happen.’ But I think we’re going to create one of the truly great sports venues in the world. And this is going to be the greatest tennis tournament in the world.”
Blake added: “We’ll have more practice courts, better facilities, better locker rooms, cutting edge video screens, more parking. Every single aspect is going to be an upgrade.”
The Miami Open is one of the leading non-grand slam events on the men’s ATP and women’s WTA circuits. Roger Federer and Johanna Konta are the defending singles champions.
Images: Miami Open
