MIAMI, FL — Tennis greats Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka and fans alike marveled over Miami’s new first-in-sports tennis stadium as they helped take the wraps off the new $70 million Miami Open complex this week at Hard Rock Stadium.
The 14,000-seat tennis stadium was built inside the massive 65,000-seat football stadium — a stadium within a stadium — where the Miami Dolphins make diving catches, fast-flying tackles and improbable Hail Marys during the fall and winter months. Tennis will take over each spring with some 300,000 tennis fans flocking to Miami from around the world to witness the annual two-week tourney, sip champagne and watch the world’s top male and female athletes in a more intimate setting than New York’s U.S. Open.
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“I like it. It’s really fresh. It’s really innovative and it’s pretty exciting to see it all come together,” observed Williams, an eight-time champion of the Miami open, who has a minority stake in Hard Rock Stadium and makes her home about 60 miles away in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. “It was hard to picture, but I saw it, and I believed in it. We got a great team together to build this amazing stadium and it really came together.”
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Williams famously penned a 2016 letter to The New York Times: “Why Tennis Needs the Miami Open” as rumors began to swirl that the tournament was going to pull up stakes in Miami and move to another city — or even out of the country — when it became apparent that the event was unable to expand in its idyllic location of Key Biscayne some 20 miles away from Hard Rock Stadium.
Even William was surprised when Dolphins owner Stephen Ross came up with the idea to build a temporary tennis stadium inside the football stadium and to construct a massive tennis campus with a 5,200 seat grandstand, dozens of smaller courts and chic outdoor lounge areas in what was only a parking lot seven months earlier.
“Honestly, really only Miami,” could pull this off, acknowledged Williams, who has won gold in the Olympics, 23 Grand Slams and just about every major tennis event in the world. “I totally agree. I can’t really see this in any other city. You have the fan base. You have the belief. You have the support.”
Federer, who holds the record for the most Grand Slam men’s singles championships with 20 titles, said Miami’s new stadium within a stadium is something to behold in a sport where change is slow to come.
“I don’t want to say it in a negative way we’re stuck in our way sometimes, but innovation is not our forte in our sport,” observed Federer. “I think it’s a big massive moment in our sport to be quite honest.”
He said he and the other players have always looked forward to the Miami tournament each year and had mixed feelings when it left Key Biscayne after last year.
“Key Biscayne has been really a special place for the tennis tour,” he explained. “Miami has been a place that was one of my first trips as a junior, back in the … Orange Bowl, Flamingo Park, Biltmore and then at 18, I played at Key Biscayne. I’ve been coming here on and off for the last 25 years.”
He described the opening of Hard Rock Stadium as a “mega, mega event” for us. “To be here now it’s just very special. It moves me really a lot to be in such a massive stadium,” he shared, adding that he was pleased to be invited to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony that opened stadium court.
“They asked me to do it. I was like ‘yeah, I’m in.’ I’m happy to do it. It’s a moment in time in our sport,” he added. “I think if you get an opportunity to be part of something like this you should do it.”
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez told Patch that the new tennis complex will provide an economic boost for the economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism.
“This tournament generates millions of dollars in economic benefit,” he explained. “We have thousands of people that come from around the world to come and be part of this tournament, watch this tournament. They spend millions of dollars in our hotel rooms and restaurants. It’s a great economic generator.”
Gimenez said he tried to keep the tournament in Key Biscayne but wasn’t surprised that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was able to build a world class facility on the site of a football stadium.
“They’ve done a heck of a job here,” said Gimenez. “They showed me their vision before it happened. I said ‘okay that will work.’ For the fans, it probably works better: No hassles with parking and the ability to get in and out. Being up here may have a little rush hour problem coming from the south. But from the north, probably pretty easy to get to. It works well. The amenities are really good. They run a first class operation.”
Street artist Jennifer Chaparro was still putting the finishing touches on her art deco street mural as play began. It will serve as a meeting point and as one of a number of places to take selfies.
“They wanted kind of an old Miami looking postcard,” she said. “It looks like you’re kind of right there.”
Kathy Nickels of Parkland brought her son to the tournament. She said she prefers the new location over Key Biscayne. “I think it’s a great location,” she said. “It’s a little bit more organized and it’s not so scattered.”
Still, she was surprised at how fast the complex came together. “It was very clever how they made it work,” she said.
But not everything is better.
Jeremy Garcia and his wife came with their two daughters from New Mexico to check out the new Miami Open.
He said he could get closer to the tennis stars when they practiced in the old location because there weren’t any seats along the practice courts to get in the way.
Of course he had to stand.
“You were right up against the fence,” he insisted, adding that he still loves the tournament — seats and all — and will “definitely” come back in the future.
“The construct of the stadium within a stadium is very interesting,” added Connie, a Palm Beach Gardens resident, who came with her husband and found the parking much easier.
Most fans remember having to take buses from the parking lots in prior years to reach the tournament. A few recall being left behind at times when the buses finished running for the night.
“It’s a lovely facility, and it’s very convenient from the Turnpike,” Connie said of the new facility.
John Crawford brought his daughter, Emma, from the Orlando area. “I like this a lot. It’s a big upgraded area. I like the parking better. The courts are beautiful,” he said, adding that it was an easy drive on the Florida Turnpike.
“It feels like it’s own separate venue with the stadium in it,” he said. “Very well done.”
Sixteen-year-0ld Roberto Campoverde who practices at Extreme Tennis in Aventura couldn’t wait to see his idols in action.
“The first time I walked in the stadium I got a little bit dizzy because it’s a stadium inside a stadium but you get used to it after awhile,” he confided. “The place is pretty big. Sometimes you get lost. But this is my second day here, so I know where everything is.”
Patch readers can get a 10 percent discount on tickets purchased through TicketNetwork with the promo code “PatchTickets10.” Click here to buy tickets to the Miami Open.
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