How The Miami Open Become a Cultural Calendar Mainstay

Sofia Espinosa Tcherassi, Olivia ElliottPhoto by: Ryan Sides

As a kid, I remember what is now known as the Miami Open presented by Itaú blasting on my grandparents’ old TV set in their Florida home. My siblings and I visited them every spring break, and I have distinct recollectsions of running in from the beach, sand still on my feet, and parking myself in front of my grandfather’s chair to watch the annual tennis tournament and stars like Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, and Martina Hingis (I also remember getting annoyed when he’d toggle between the tennis and The Golf Channel).

Back then, the more quaint-feeling event was called the Lipton Championships—before it would later become commonly known as the Sony Ericsson Open. And it was all played on leafy Key Biscayne, a well-heeled—but sleepy—island about seven miles southeast of Downtown.

These days, the Miami Open is a different entity altogether; a major juggernaut that unfurls beneath the arena floodlights of Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium, layered with myriad dining and bar options, and infused with the kinetic energy for which the Magic City is so well known. Outside of the Grand Slams, tennis’s next major threshold consists of “1000-level” tournaments. The U.S. hosts three of them: Miami, the BNP Paribas Open (near Palm Springs, California), and Cincinnati. 

You can guess where the biggest party is.

“Miami in general has so, so many options,” the tournament’s director (and former pro player) James Blake told Vogue. “The top players will always be here, so die-hard tennis fans love it. But we’re really thinking about the casual fans, too, and how to deliver a better experience to them with more and more options. We’re really trying to weave in the fabric of Miami’s culture, with lots of music, fun, and food—even the arts.”

On the Hard Rock’s grounds, crowd-pleasing eateries such as Miami Slice (pizza), Omakai (sushi), and Suviche (Peruvian) often garner long lines. Murals by local artists dot the setup. A padel pop-up was even placed just inside the entrance. And that’s just the beginning: MARI, a live events and experiences company, is the tournament’s new owner and it is looking to propel its appeal even further for the future. 

The buzz doesn’t end at Hard Rock’s gates either; the Miami Open also sees many major pop-up events, parties, and charitable initiatives hosted throughout the area, particularly during the early stages of the tournament when more players (and their sponsors) are in town. 

Ahead of this weekend’s finals, we spotlight some of the standout social moments in and around the event—a showcase of performance, a city-wide spectacle and, now, a cultural calendar mainstay. Vamos!