Hard Rock Stadium

McEnroe, Agassi, Roddick, Chang “Pickleball Slam” To Be Held At Same Time, 11 Miles Down The Road From Miami Open Final

March 30, 2023 by Admin

On Sunday, April 2, at 12 noon ET, ESPN will broadcast live and exclusively the inaugural Pickleball Slam featuring tennis legends Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, John McEnroe, and Andy Roddick. The Slam will air immediately ahead of the NCAA Women’s basketball championship game. Created and produced by Horizon Sports & Experiences (HS&E) and InsideOut Sports & Entertainment (ISE), the 2023 event will take place at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Interestingly enough, the event is being held on the same day, at virtually the same time and just 11 miles away from the Miami Open men’s singles TENNIS final at Hard Rock Stadium, televised on Tennis Channel.

The Pickleball Slam, the first-of-its-kind event with the fastest growing sport in the U.S., will feature two matches, a singles and a doubles. In the legends’ singles, Chang faces Roddick and Agassi faces McEnroe. The second match—the final match of the day—will be a doubles with Chang and McEnroe facing Agassi and Roddick. The four tennis Hall of Famers will compete for a $1 million purse—the largest in pickleball history.

Not released was the how the prize money will be earned and what the division of prize money exactly is between the four competing matches.

The Pickleball Slam (www.thepickleballslam.com) will be preceded on March 31 and April 1 by the Amateur Pickleball Slam Challenge, featuring top amateur teams of two competing for a $10,000 team prize. The winners will also have the chance to compete against the tennis legends on April 1.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst. 

Can The Miami Open Go For The BIGGEST Attendance Record?

April 2, 2019 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The 2019 Miami Open set 15 different attendance records in its first year at Hard Rock Stadium, including a record 17,373 fans who attended the men’s singles final between Roger Federer and John Isner.

In years to come, the Miami Open will likely continue to set more and more tournament attendance records as more fans hear of the amazing environment at the event and with expanded event content.

However, there’s one major attendance record that the tournament could attain with some additional marketing and ingenuity. That record is for the most fans to attend ANY tennis match in the history of the sport.

I consider myself a bit of a custodian for history and records in the sport, mainly due to my 12-year career at the U.S. Tennis Association, where I served primarily as the U.S. Open, Davis Cup and Olympic historian and press officer. Starting in 2010, I was the editor and publisher of “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” book by the late great Bud Collins, which my company New Chapter Press officially published three volumes of in the last ten years. Featured on page 774 of this book is the listing for records for largest crowds.

The largest crowd to watch a tennis match was 35,681 when Kim Clijsters beat Serena Williams 6-3, 6-2 in the “Best of Belgium” tennis exhibition on July 8, 2010 in Roi Baudoin Stadium in Brussels. This exhibition broke the previous record of 30,492 fans who watched the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, won by King 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 at the Houston Astrodome on September 20, 1973.

In 2017, the biggest crowd to watch a “sanctioned” tennis match (non-exhibition) was 27,448, set during the 2017 Davis Cup final at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lilles, France.

While at the Miami Open, I spent my first hours at the event counting seats and rows and looking to see how many people could potentially see the match with a full of even partially obstructed view of the match. The seating capacity for the event for football is 65,356 but many of the seats do not provide visibility of the court in the current set-up.

According to ROSSETTI, the design architects of the “stadium within the stadium” situated along the west sideline of this football stadium used by the Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes, features 6,000 seats, including the luxury boxes.

I counted the seats that were in the “luxury” section along the sideline that are part of the permanent structure and it was approximately 6,000 seats. The seat capacity for this area is then about 12,000. In the upper deck of the stadium facing the court, there are nine sections with approximately 1,200 seats each, making for about 11,000 seats. Some of these on the edge quite far away and not ideal, but you can see the court. These three sections account for about 23,000 seats, which is equal to the capacity of Arthur Ashe Stadium, which is the largest tennis stadium in the world at 23,771 seats.

Could the Miami Open fill these seats, albeit some on the top section not ideal, and add another 4,500 seats somewhere? This would get them to potentially surpass 27,448 fans in attendance and break the record set at the 2017 Davis Cup final for the most number of fans to watch a “sanctioned” tennis match. If the tournament could find another 12,700 seats, a much tougher task, they could break the all-time record of 35,681 fans who watched the Kim Clijsters vs. Serena Williams match. Then, of course, you have to do a marketing campaign to get this amount of fans to attend.

Prior to the start of the event, tournament officials announced that the seating capacity for the stadium would be 13,800 and clearly there were more that were used by the end of the event, considering that the announced attendance for the final was over 17,000.

The 2019 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium joined the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” at the Houston Astrodome as the only two times in history where a tennis event was played in a NFL football stadium, as he wrote about here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/16607

Miami Open during the 2019 men's final — Miami Open during the 2019 men’s final

What Other Tennis Events Can Be Held At Miami Open’s Hard Rock Stadium Campus?

March 28, 2019 by Admin

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The most impressive part of the new Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium may be its expanded “Tennis Campus.” This magnificently manicured and designed layout features not just restaurants, bars and places to lounge, but, in all, 29 tennis courts. While the center court stadium inside the stadium will be disassembled after the tournament to make way for the NFL’s Dolphins, the University of Miami football team and other sports and music events, the outer courts, including a 5,100-seat Grandstand, a 3,000-seat Court 1 and a 1,500-seat Court 2, will be permanent. This brings up the question, what other events could be held on site when the Miami Open is not being held? Also, what other ancillary events could be held leading into the Miami Open or in the waning days of the event when there are fewer matches held on site.

The Tennis Campus could certainly host the NCAA Tennis Championships one day – with the University of Miami serving as the host institution. There are two sets of eight courts consecutive courts – used for practice for the Miami Open – that could serve perfectly for college dual matches that require six side-by-side courts for six singles matches. Two dual matches could be played simultaneously while a slew of other courts on the campus could be used for other teams and players to practice. The one drawback is that there are no indoor courts in case of rain, but there are so many courts that make up matches could be done simultaneously to get a tournament back on schedule. While hosting the NCAA Tennis Championships would be a few and far between opportunity, the campus hosting college tennis matches on an annual basis is something that can easily be done. Every spring, college tennis teams from northern states are always playing matches in warmer environments down south during Spring Break trips, usually in early March.

Taking a page from what the Indian Wells Tennis Garden does leading into the BNP Paribas Open in California, lead-up events can be held at the Hard Rock Stadium Tennis Campus. In Indian Wells, in the weeks leading up the BNP Paribas Open, the site hosts wild card tournaments to earn entry into the qualifying rounds of the big show, followed by a men’s and women’s Challenger level event that leads into the BNP Paribas Open qualifying rounds. While there seems to be a well-run and perfect geographically-placed Challenger in Phoenix during the second week of Indian Wells (to accommodate ATP players losing early in Indian Wells), there is not a women’s challenger in the USA during this week, which could be an opportunity for the Miami Open to hold one on site leading into the qualifying rounds.

While the first week and weekend of the Miami Open features a flurry of action on all the outer courts, the second week leaves many of the courts unused. Some sort of content should be placed on those courts to provide supplemental entertainment for fans on site and perhaps to add a few days of grounds pass sales (and to increase on site food, beverage and retail sale opportunities). At the U.S. Open in the past, a college invitational was hosted as well as junior, senior and wheelchair events. While the prestigious Easter Bowl junior championship are held at the same time as the Miami Open, perhaps the site could host another event for “up-and-coming” players – a ITF World Tennis Tour “Futures” pro event. This would only need four competition courts – and three or four practice courts – and provide high level matches on the outer courts from the Monday to Sunday of the second week. As a tournament director for a similar and highly successful event just up the road in Vero Beach, Florida, I think this would be a great idea. A wheelchair event is also a possibility. Since South Florida is hub for retired “seniors,” perhaps an ITF or USTA “senior” event may also be something to consider. What could be a better promotion for senior tennis (and tennis as a “Sport of Lifetime”) than to have competitive 70-something, 80-something and even 90-something players playing in competitive official USTA or ITF events on the outer courts of the Miami Open, where fans can catch a few games while finishing off a mojito or a steak sandwich from the food court?

Miami Open tournament director James Blake is a competitor on the Invesco Series “senior” tennis circuit (along with fellow legends John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Andy Roddick and others) would be an excellent attraction on the Grandstand Court for either the final weekend or as a kick-off event. A “senior” event – perhaps UTR senior event featuring lower level former ATP and WTA players could be another option for the second week of the event, to give former players who are not able to play on “legends” circuits, a chance to compete in front of appreciative fans.

Some other ideas including having the campus host a USTA League Tennis National Championship in the fall. One a day-to-day basis, having the campus be the home of a USTA National Junior Tennis League chapter would be another great idea to give local kids another opportunity to learn and play the game. Opening the courts up to the public for public use would seem to be a no-brainer while also hosting clinics and other local USTA Florida section tournaments. In late April and May, perhaps Florida state high school tennis championships could be held on site.

The potential is almost unlimited. It’s going to be fascinating to see how this new remarkable tennis venue continues to evolve.

First Impressions of the New Miami Open…Simply Amazing

March 26, 2019 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The distinct voice of chair umpire Mohamed Layani bellowed our the words “Game, set and match, Roger Federer” as I walked towards the entrance to the Hard Rock Stadium, the new venue for the Miami Open tennis championships.

After being played on the island paradise of Key Biscayne since 1987, the tournament moved north and inland to Miami Gardens and the grounds of the this American football stadium starting in 2019, ushering in a new era for the tournament and its own chapter in the storied history this sport and its iconic venues.

It would have been nice if Federer was the first player I would see play in this new environment. However, it actually seemed more appropriate that the first player I see in this setting be Venus Williams, who was next to play Simona Halep. Venus and her younger sister Serena are probably the two players most synonymous with this event. And, to boot, they are both minority owners in the Miami Dolphins, the National Football League team that play in the stadium. Together, the sisters won this tournament 11 times (8 for Serena, 3 for Venus) and played an historic final 20 years ago in 1999, the first big tournament final pitting sister against sister since the 1884 Wimbledon final between Maud and Lillian Watson. Venus won the title that day 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 and the two sisters would play many more matches in finals and semifinals and quarterfinals for the next two decades, Serena taking the mantle from her older sister and becoming arguably the greatest women’s tennis player of all time.

I first wanted to sit in the upper deck of the stadium and look down at the court and it was comforting to venture to the upper level via an escalator. It’s an amazing view and not unlike the upper decks of Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, the largest tennis stadium in the world. The four large screen video boards in each corner of the stadium provide amazing close up views of the court and I believe these may be bigger than those than at the U.S. Open. The acoustics, however, leave something to be desired for years to come as the player introductions sounded a bit like adults from the old “Peanuts” cartoon specials from the cheap seats. One of the first things I noticed while sitting in the upper deck was a drink vendor working the aisles, in what may be a first in tennis history. He wasn’t exactly yelling “Beer here!” but he was providing a nice service for fans in their seats needing hydration.

In the second set, I decided to move into the “lower stadium” – the stadium within the stadium – and found it, obviously, much more intimate but even more intimate than Key Biscayne. The Stadium Court is more intimate but yet less intimate than the old Biscayne. You can sit in the rafters and laugh and talk with your friends while play goes under well below or you can sit in the stadium-within-the-stadium and be right on top of the action.

After Halep defeated Williams in straight sets, I ventured out on the grounds for the first time and was completely blown away. The set-up was simply amazing. Scenic vistas, food courts, courts everywhere with excellent and ample seating on the sides and behind the courts. Set-ups for music, bars, restaurants and even an art gallery are just a few of the attractions. Flowers and greenery are seen everywhere. The grounds and the elaborate and elegant offerings are so appetizing that you would be thoroughly entertained even if you don’t watch one tennis ball being hit!

Miami Open Doing Something Done Only Once In Tennis History

March 20, 2019 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The Miami Open is about to do something that has only been done one other time in the history of tennis.

The 2019 edition of the tournament will be the first time that the event will be played at Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. It’s also the second time that a tennis event has been held at an NFL stadium. Can you guess the only other time this has happened?

You have to go back to the 1973 “Battle of Sexes” match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in Houston, Texas that was held at the Houston Astrodome, which at the time was the home of the then Houston Oilers NFL franchise. The match featured a crowd of 30,372.

Hard Rock Stadium was created in 1987 and was first known as Joe Robbie Stadium. The facility replaced the old Orange Bowl stadium as the home of the Dolphins as well as the Miami Hurricanes college football team. It also hosted the Florida Marlins baseball team from 1993 to 2011. The stadium has also hosted five Super Bowls, two World Series contests and four college football National Championship Games as well as the annual Orange Bowl college football game. In August of 2016, Hard Rock Café Inc. bought the naming rights for $250 million for 18 years. In 2017, the stadium debuted shaded covers over most of the stands, making it much more fan friendly in the hot South Florida sun.

Hard Rock Stadium is the fourth venue for the Miami Open, which started in 1985 just 42 miles north in Delray Beach, Florida. After one year in Delray Beach, the event moved slightly south to Boca Raton, Florida and then even farther south in 1987 to Key Biscayne, Florida, “finally feeling at home among the palms and mangroves” wrote Bud Collins in “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” book. A new permanent stadium in Key Biscayne was created in 1994, holding 13,800 seats, which is the exact capacity for this year in Hard Rock Stadium. Trouble with local politicians that prevented IMG, the Miami Open operators, to expand and improve the event, prompted the move to Hard Rock Stadium, with the assistance of billionaire Stephen Ross. The 2019 event will provide an opportunity for the event to create new traditions, as I wrote last year here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/15414

In North America, while no other NFL stadiums have hosted tennis, the Rogers Centre (formerly the Skydome) in Toronto, home of baseball’s Blue Jays and, at one time, the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, hosted an ATP event in 1990 for one year, won by Ivan Lendl. In 2014, the U.S. Davis Cup team played against Great Britain in Petco Park in San Diego, home of baseball’s San Diego Padres. The USA could not channel the magic of their national past time and lost 3-1

Some previews of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium can be found in the New York Times by Cindy Shmerler here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/sports/tennis/miami-open-hard-rock-stadium.html?fbclid=IwAR0MX1RkoREbdG8-hmEnhQN69xyCxb781Ar9YavJ8uXQ2p8j5we2q89Tlzk, in the Miami Herald by Michelle Kaufman here: https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/tennis/article228054334.html?fbclid=IwAR2dJaU_sMtBA73U4zWcaausKDgY-NFo1rRgSmb3uvArDvaZr5v7_z9oTpM and in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel by David Furones here: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/tennis/fl-sp-miami-open-preview-20190317-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2TV6IV6ToQuNwv6HrNc2-G2gPGN7X2JGIa-1i7sQTmCYPaJDaesQD1NOo

Miami Open To Move From Key Biscayne To Hard Rock Stadium In 2019

December 20, 2017 by Admin

IMG, an Endeavor company, today announced that the Miami Open presented by Itau will be relocating to Hard Rock Stadium in 2019. The partnership between IMG and Hard Rock Stadium will bring an unparalleled fan experience, improved player amenities, ample parking, as well as an extended fan base to the Miami Open, a cornerstone of IMG’s events portfolio. Construction on the new tennis facilities will begin in 2018.

The Miami Open’s last event at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, where it has enjoyed a successful 32-year run, will take place in March 2018. While the event had numerous offers to relocate to other cities, IMG committed to finding a solution that would keep the event in South Florida for the benefit of the community, working closely with Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez to develop this reimagined event.

“The Miami Open belongs in Miami,” said WME and IMG Co-President Mark Shapiro. “We’re grateful to have amazing partners in Stephen, the Miami Dolphins organization, Mayor Gimenez and above all the people of Miami who have been supporting the Miami Open for decades. While we’re looking forward to creating the new Miami Open experience at Hard Rock Stadium, our priority is to make the last edition of the Key Biscayne event the best it’s ever been.”

“We are extremely excited that the Miami Open, a global entertainment event, will remain in our community,” Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross said. “We are committed to bringing a best-in-class experience alongside IMG to all of the players, fans and partners that will take part in this global affair. The opportunity to showcase the best tennis in the world in Hard Rock Stadium, a venue that brings together the best of culture, art and entertainment, will be an amazing experience for everyone involved.”

“The Miami Open has been a part of Miami’s culture for as long as I can remember and it’s a tournament that is very special to me and my family,” added 23-time Grand Slam Champion Serena Williams. “I’ve enjoyed some of my best career moments in Miami thanks to the amazing tournament team and the supportive Miami fans. I am thrilled the Miami Open is staying in Miami, where it belongs.”

Already one of the world’s largest and most prestigious combined tennis events, the move to Hard Rock Stadium will allow the Miami Open the freedom and flexibility to grow and innovate the event with improved infrastructure, upgraded amenities, expanded space and parking. The new Miami Open will have 30 show and practice courts; a tennis oasis with the largest video screen of any tennis event; a sponsorship village with expanded and upgraded entertainment spaces; permanent retail facilities; improved Wi-Fi, media facilities, locker rooms and fitness space for players and tennis staff. The tournament’s sponsors will enjoy state-of-the-art hospitality options, improved activation areas, additional opportunities for brand exposure and access to new markets north of Miami-Dade County.

The centerpiece of the move will be a new Center Court, which will showcase a 14,000-seat stadium within Hard Rock Stadium. Ross has invested more than $500 million into Hard Rock Stadium over the years, which boasts a state-of-the-art shade canopy, four giant high-definition video boards, new seats closer to the action, concourses, restrooms and retail outlets throughout the entire facility, and new premium spaces that raise the caliber for luxury within a sports facility. The move also will allow IMG to take the fan experience to unprecedented heights by incorporating the company’s network across music, fashion, culinary and art.

About the Miami Open presented by Itaú

The 2018 Miami Open will be played March 19-April 1 at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami. The two-week combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. The tournament is widely regarded as the most glamorous on the ATP and WTA calendars because of its exotic Miami location, thriving nightlife, five-star hotels and restaurants, beautiful weather and beaches, and its celebrity appeal. For ticket information, call +1.305.442.3367 or visit www.miamiopen.com.