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By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, April 5, 2023

 
Carlos Alcaraz

Photo credit: Matthew Calvis

Hard-court tennis hops with a tropical twist in Miami.

The 2023 Miami Open popped with pulsating points, streak-snapping showdowns, electric exchanges, surprising exits, swelteing sun, a swarm of stars—including Jamie Foxx, Mike Tyson, Jon Bon Jovi, Jimmy Butler, Luka Doncic, John McEnroe, Lisa Leslie, Daymond John, Chanel Iman and Francisco Lindor—and some of the nation’s most passionate tennis fans soaking it all in like a spring-break tennis festival.

More: James Blake Talks Miami Open to TN

The Tennis Now team was in Miami from first ball through the finals. 

Novak Djokovic

Our two weeks in Miami was filled with some tremendous tennis, memorable post-match pressers, delicious food and enough sunscreen spray to line the Hard Rock Stadium court daily.

We posted reflections on top players in our Miami Open Top Takeways report yesterday.

Today, our Miami Open 2023: Best & Worst focuses more on the tournament experience itself and aims to answer these questions:

What is it like attending the Miami Open?

How does the Hard Rock Stadiium cite compare to the former Crandon Park site on Key Biscayne?

What improvements would we like to see?

The 2023 Miami Open reported record-setting attendance of 386,000 fans with four record-setting sessions.

We spoke to fans on site and asked several of them three questions:

*What’s the best thing about the 2023 Miami Open?

*What’s the worst thing about the 2023 Miami Open?

*Will you come back in 2024?

An overwhelming majority cited “Carlos Alcaraz” as the best thing about the tournament with many others citing the “Alcaraz vs. Sinner” semifinal showdown, Daniil Medvedev’s dominant run and the doubles triumph of Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff as their highlights.

Of course, every tennis experience can bring highs and lows.

On the down side, fans told us the absence of 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who was not allowed into the United States under current COVID-19 policy, and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who withdrew on opening day nursing a rib injury, were disappointments.

Some fans also told us parking could be a hassle, which really shouldn't occur given the massive size of the site.

The Hard Rock Stadium also hosts a Formula 1 race May 5-7th and workers were putting the finishing touches on the Formula 1 stands and track, which caused some parking to be re-routed and seemed to limit some parking areas used in prior years.

Other fans told us they’d appreciate a wider range (read: less expensive) food and beverage options or the option to bring a sandwich on site.

For the record, the Miami Open website rules state: “Food is allowed in a small clear bag for guests with approved dietary or medical exceptions.”

Three popular responses we heard from fans during our two weeks in Miami:

1. They enjoyed the energy and positive vibes pouring from the players and fans.

2. The expansive site gave fans more room to move, green space, a serve speed tent and ping pong tables and quiet areas to make phone calls was appreciated.

3. Every fan we spoke said they planned to come back in 2024.

As Dan, the fan from West Palm Beach told us, “If Alcaraz comes back, I’ll come back too!”

Here's our take on the Best & Worst of the Miami Open. We welcome hearing yours on Facebook, Twitter or email at [email protected].

Best of 2023 Miami Open 

Rivalry Revelry

The latest episode of the Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner rivalry lit up Miami.



It was wildly entertaining, engaging and electrifying tennis.

There were so many gasps and screams from fans at time it felt like like riding a tennis rollercoaster along with 13,000 other exhilarated fans.

Flying high in south Florida, Sinner dethroned defending champion Alcaraz 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 in a gripping three-hour clash to reach the Miami Open final for the second time in three years.

To give you an idea of how massively popular Alcaraz is in South Florida, when he squared off against Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul and 2022 Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz, the 19-year-old Spanish superstar had more vocal fan support than both American stars.

That's no knock on Fritz and Paul, two of the most fan-friendly players we saw in terms of signing autographs after both practices and matches.

The truth is you could put Agassi, McEnroe, Roddick or Chang across the net from Alcaraz in Miami and the US Open champion would likely enjoy more crowd support. Alcaraz is so beloved in Miami it's as if the city has adopted him as one of their own and his thrilling three-set loss to Sinner only amplifies the affection fans have for him as a thrill artist.

In several post-match interviews, Andrew Krasny asked Alcaraz his first question in Spanish, rather than English, and Miami fans went wild loving hearing the defending champion speak first in his native language. 



Brilliant Ball Strikers

Clean ball strikers ruled Miami.

Maiden men’s champion Daniil Medvedev and women’s winner Petra Kvitova are both pure ball strikes whose flat strikes played well on the lower-bouncing courts.

When she’s on her game, two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova can still play first-strike tennis with the best of them.

In Miami, the Czech left-hander showed her desire still burns deeply. Kvitova could have wilted in the heat facing two set points against Sorana Cirstea in the semifinals or when she fought off five set points handing Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina her first tiebreak loss of the season.

Instead, the 33-year-old Kvitova let it fly and was rewarded with her 30th career championship becoming the second-oldest woman, after Serena Williams, to rule Miami.

While Medvedev is often perceived as a point-extender, he showed just how insanely accurate he can be on the move. The Medvedev running backhand is a beautiful stroke to watch because it’s so unpredictable, he can hold that shot and put the ball anywhere.

Throughout this Miami run, Medvedev also showed why he’s so tough to beat on hard court: He holds serve faster than an auctioneer reciting the alphabet then engages in tennis trench warfare on return digging in and making you earn every point you get.




As mentioned in our Tuesday recap, both Medvedev and Kvitova were two of the kindest players we saw interacting with fans, taking selfies and signing autographs.

Well done runs, both on and off court, to both champions.

Another shared quality: Neither champion wears a baseball cap or sunglasses. While that may not sound like a big deal, considering the high sun both had to confront, especially in semifinal and final matches, it’s impressive both Medvedev and Kvitova won against opponents wearing a baseball cap and a visor.

Indian Wells champion Elena Rybakina, who saw her 13-match winning streak snapped in the final, is also a flat hitter as is Romanian semifinalist Sorana Cirstea and men’s semifinalist Karen Khachanov.

Festive Vibe

The Miami Open is more than a tennis tournament it’s a tennis-entertainment festival.

The party vibe stems from the city of Miami, which hosts the Ultra music festival and spring break around the same time as the tournament, and passionate fans who come to celebrate tennis and life.

The mix of music and tennis peaked with concert performances from Cimafunk on the final Friday night of the event and by the legendary Kool & The Gang, who performed right after the women’s final on Saturday night. Kool & The Gang put on a phenemonal show and, in a super cool move, brought beaming women’s champion Petra Kvitova out on stage while singing their iconic “Celebration” to the cheers and delight of fans.

Both concerts were part of the Stella Artois-sponsored “Final Set” concert series and both were fantastic shows. Kool & The Gang’s energy and horn section were very impressive. While obviously not as many people at
The Final Set concert in Miami as there were at this Glastonbury show, here’s a taste of how tight and energized they were on stage:



Another cool feature: both bands exited through the media center, so we got to see most of the Kool & The Gang band moments after their final song and Cimafunk walked through the media room, looking excited, moments before he stepped on stage.

Feedback was positive from all fans we spoke to so hopefully the tournament continues the concert series in the future.

Novak Djokovic

The addition of beverage sponsors Stella Artois beer and Maestro Dobel Tequila this year amps up the revelry as both brands had bars in Sunset Terrace with Stella Artois also hosting a unique trailer car bar right outside the stadium.

When you walk up to the tequila bar and see 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro serving drinks, you know you're in the right tournament at the right time.

Given the abundance of bars in and around the Hard Rock grounds and the fact they have vendors wheeling around dumpsters filled with ice, cold beer, cold soda and cold water, it’s fair to say this the most party-friendly tournament in the United States. Full disclosure: the free media happy hour from 5 to 7 nightly probably played a part in that prior sentence.

Superior Staff

We were told the tournament cut staffers compared to last year.

If that’s true, we didn’t notice it.

All the staff we dealt with—from parking attendants to credential staff to bar tenders to security to restaurant workers to media center staff—were polite, professional and responsive. The majority of staff are bilingual, too, which is great for South American fans. A friend from Argentina, who speaks almost exclusively Spanish, visited for a few days and enjoyed the experience, especially the fact he could speak Spanish when ordering food, asking for directions, etc.

Upon arriving to the tournament site on opening day, the first person we saw on the grounds was tournament director James Blake talking to a group of fans.

We asked tournament staff if we could interview with tournament director Blake. Within 48 hours of our request, the tournament set up a one-on-one interview with Blake in front of Hard Rock Stadium.

We were promised 10 minutes, Blake gave us 15 minutes, answered each question in depth. Yonkers, N.Y. native Blake was also a visible presence on the grounds daily, helping to conduct the draws, getting player feedback, talking to fans and consulting with chair umpires and tournament referee during rain delays.

Novak Djokovic

Media director Lisa Franson, who has worked the Miami Open going back to the Crandon Park Key Biscayne days, and her team, including Amber and the entire staff, put in the hard yards and long hours daily first ball to last ball and made the media we spoke with feel welcome and supported.

The media staff, many of whom were former Division I college players, were attentive and had your back, too. I took the wrong ticket for one of Alcaraz's early-round matches. A media staffer realized it and came out to my seat after the match started and gave me the correct ticket just in case security asked for it. 

Among the highlights for us: The staff continued the tournament's long-running tradition of hosting the Bud Collins memorial media tournament in honor of the late, great Hall of Fame writer.

On the Saturday morning before the women’s final about 16 to 18 members of the media played on the same Miami Open courts, using the same Dunlop balls and the same orange towels the pros used for the tournament.

After a draining two weeks of some hot days and long nights, it was a welcome and fun reprieve to blow off some steam and play for more than two hours on the courts.

In all the years we’ve participated, this was the deepest field with five or six former Division I college players in the tournament and a couple of guys, including former champion Mauricio, who have played Futures, and the explosive Nelson, who switched from a Babolat to a Yonex frame, and solidified his status as one of the top media players in the world. Nelson and Mauricio are such strong players a few fans stopped to watch them warm up thinking they were pros.

We partnered with legendary South Florida journalist and tennis umpire Harvey Fialkov, who is playing better than ever after successful cataract surgery, and veteran photographer Dino, who hit one of the best stretch volleys of the media tournament in our final game together. All this happened while some members of Kool & The Gang were conducting a morning sound-check you could hear from the courts.

Another classy gesture, staff gave a pre-tournament speech about Hall of Famer Bud Collins explaining who he was for younger media, why he started the tournament and why he remains an important figure in tennis media. I was fortunate to work with Bud at Tennis Week many years ago and surely he would have appreciated the tournament continuing his legacy and the fact so many media members competed.

As Bud Collins and the late, great Gene Scott used to say: "We don't just cover tennis, we play tennis!" 

In Miami, you do both and it's a blast. 

Perch Peak

An old tennis adage tells us the when best umpires occupy the high chair, we don’t even notice their work.

I'd disagree after watching chair umpires Nacho Forcadell and Jennifer Zhang at work in Miami.

During the Petra Kvitova vs. Sorana Cirstea semifinal one man dressed in bright, red t-shirt and waving a Romanian flag started doing an extended cheer after Cirstea won points that threatened to stretch into the next point.

Zhang immediately pointed up to the man, addressed him directly and asked him politely but firmly to stop and be fair to both players. Right after her instructions what appeared to be a security guard or tournament official spoke to the fan as well. He was not booted from his seat, but presumably reminded it’s fine to cheer but don’t be a rabble rouser and spoil the competitive balance of a semifinal.

Similarly, we saw Forcadell, who came under criticism from Daniil Medvedev last November, also spot a potential problem and issue a clear directive on Grandstand Court. No doubt Grandstand is probably the best court to watch tennis on site, but the metallic stands can make dropped objects reverberate in a jolting clash like Oscar the Grouch slamming two garbage can lids together.

To his credit: I heard Forcadell in more than a few Grandstand matches announce: "Ladies and gentlemen, please turn off your phones and please be careful to not drop your phones as the sound can disturb the players."




Now, I've heard chair umpires remind fans to turn off their phones plenty of times, but going the extra step and explaining, quite rightly, that the metallic stands themselves amplify dropped objects, and startle the players mid-point was smart.

In matches we saw, Zhang and Forcadell are not only watching the action inside the lines, they’re trying to manage the entire court conditions. They’re trying to give the players the fairest conditions to compete and fans the best possible environment to enjoy the action—and that shows in their attention to detail.

Worst

Bianca Andreescu’s Crash

A horrific silence swept across Grandstand when Bianca Andreescu crashed to court in agony screaming “Oh My God!” after tearing ankle ligaments.

The low point of the tournament saw Andreescu, who put together a rousing run knocking off Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Sofia Kenin as well as seventh-seeded Maria Sakkari, suffer that agonizing injury on Grandstand.



It seems every time former Miami Open finalist Andreescu started to put together a positive run, insidious injury strikes her down.



Most encouraging about her Miami performance, Andreescu was not only playing the engaging, entertaining brand of tennis that made her a major champion—at one point she bamboozled Kenin with a series of slice forehands of differing speed and length—she was thriving in these battles with a smile on her face seemingly enjoying her tennis more than ever.

This tournament was the best situational serving I’ve seen from Andreescu since her inspired run to the 2019 US Open. Andreescu is not a big server, but she was pumping timely aces in her wins over Raducanu and Kenin and her ace to double fault ratio was often 7 to 0 or 7 to 2.

Seeing Andreescu’s mom in tears as her daughter was carted off Grandstand in a wheelchair you realize the emotional element at work, and hope one of the WTA’s most creative forces can comeback strong again.

Sunny Side of Hard Rock

The north side of Hard Rock Stadium may well be the most fan punishing center court in American tennis.

Sit on the sunny side—the side opposite where chair umpires, players and, thank God and organizers, media sit—for a half-hour and you’re broiling like the beef in Jimmy Dean’s barbecue on the Sunset Terrace. Sit there for an hour and your sunscreen is fleeing for its life. Sit there for more than an hour and you may be dreaming of donning a NASA space suit or skin diver’s suit to combat conditions.

Friends sometimes texted me “Why does one side of the stadium look so empty?”

Answer: Self-preservation. After a couple of changeovers, you see a procession of fans flooding the bridges behind both baselines heading for the exits to get a cold drink and cool shade. That can create another visual challenge for players.

Novak Djokovic

Can’t blame the fans: On court-temperature for most day sessions was mid 80-degrees but the thick thatch of humidity made it feel hotter and you sweat on that side of the court.

Shadow Of Doubt

The shadow that creeps across the court from east to west was a visual nuisance.

By about 1 p.m. the shadow would be near the chair umpire’s seat and gradually cut across the court. Typically by 2:15 p.m. the shadow covered the entire width of the court creating a clearer sightline, but early afternoon matches were visual nightmares for some.

“The shadows are pretty annoying. I'm not a big fan of it,” Taylor Fritz said after beating Holger Rune. “That's the first thing that I was, like, annoyed about when I found out I was playing first on, because I have been playing second on every day, and I have been watching the first-on matches before me and seeing that shadow cut through the court. I'm like, Oh, jeez, I don't want to have to deal with that.

“There was one game in particular where the sun was in a really bad spot on my serve. I couldn't see the ball at all. I couldn't even barely toss the ball in a weird spot to not have the sun completely block it.”

Interestingly, when the tournament launched at Hard Rock back in 2019 there was a canopy to create shade over about 70 percent of the court. However, some players, including Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, complained during play that conditions were too dark on court. In fact, Djokovic requested officials turn the lights on during one of his day matches at the 2019 Miami Open and they complied with his wish.

It's very, very bright so you’d hope for players’ sightlines and fans’ enjoyment the tournament can find a solution. Otherwise, sunny, warm day matches can be a challenge.

The stadium within the Hard Rock Stadium is a mixed bag of innovation, inspiration and work-in-progress installation. The good news on the metallic stadium-within-the-stadium: the seats are actually closer to the court than the old Crandon Park so despite the fact you're in a cavernous football stadium the court itself doesn't feel distant.

The bad news is the sound of the ball off the strings is deadened. It's impossible to recreate the magic and majesty of Crandon Park on Key Biscayne, which provided spectacular sunsets that looked like they burst from a Turner landscape to life.

At Hard Rock, it's more like witnessing Graffiti Art. It's bright, it's loud, it boasts the largest video screens in tennis and one of the best and most booming sounds systems. Those special effects amplified the pulsating plot lines we saw when Alcaraz and Sinner squared off. After some of those jaw-dropping points, the collective crowd turned to the big screens to relive it all again on the big screens.

The technical wizardry is impressive, but the stadium itself lacks the intimacy you had during the 32-year run at Crandon Park because it's not a tennis-only stadium and never will be that.

Another issue is so much sponsor signage is crammed on the back wall, that picking the ball up off the white signage can be challenging especially when it's a 140 mph serve coming into your body.

In fact, a couple photographers told me one reason why you saw some photographers shooting with longer lenses from higher up than court level was because they wanted to try to get a "clean" shot of player against court without the white sponsor signage bleeding through the back of the photo.

The conundrum is this stadium will always be a challenge for watching tennis from some seats (solving the shade issue would help), but at the same time it provides the luxury suites and ameneties the tournament needs to sell itself as an entertainment spectacle. In that sense, you can view the stadium as both the best and worst of the event.

Even the press box is a best and worst operation. It's the Miami Dolphins press box so obviously it's one of the biggest in tennis with plenty of desk space and multiple TV screens in every row so you can monitor the courts. There's free soda, coffee, water, sports drinks, multiple bathrooms nearby and a tremendous media operations staff.

The down side is most seats are obstructed view so for most you can't watch and write. In this case it's a positive because the media seating in Hard Rock, Grandstand and Buch Buchholz Courts are all good seats so you're close to the action from the seats just not from the press box. Whereas at Crandon Park the media room was not only large it opened right up to a balcony overlooking stadium court. 

The sky gondola that carries fans over the site is a cool feature, however the shadows of the cars suddenly passing overhead can be jarring to players on courts below. We saw Thanasi Kokkinakis look alarmed by the sudden shadow as he was set to serve.  

Pumped-Up Prices

It’s odd that Subway is a tournament sponsor featured prominently on the back wall of Hard Rock Stadium, yet we did not see a Subway sandwich spot on the grounds.

Perhaps that’s because their prices would undersell most every food option on site. If you’re a Subway fan, there is a Subway across the street from Hard Rock Stadium.

The good news: The food options are fantastic, much improved over the old Crandon Park site and there’s something for everyone (though they could use more Vegan options). Among the leading spots: Kiki on the River, Ella’s Oysters, Editor Pizza, multiple hot dog and pretzel stands and The Grove, one of our favorite sports on site, which basically replicates a beach complete with sandbox, tequila bar and a bunch of food trucks, including Monster Burger, which was the best food value on site, and Talkin Tacos.

The Grove also had a bank of large-screen TVs, so you could watch all the action, lounge chairs, beach chairs and even couches, the perfect remedy for some who had a little too much tequila and sun.

Yes, feeding a family of four will cost you. Add in souvenirs (those oversized tennis balls were selling for $40 or more) and you're looking at spending several hundred dollars if you're bring a family of four to a night match.

Then again, I spoke to a Miami-based writer who attended the Andrea Bocelli concert at Miami-Dade County Arena a week before Christmas. He told me they paid $60 for parking alone, so that puts a bit of perspective on Miami event pricing. 

Cashing on Qualies

Tournament owner IMG is not the USTA, whose mission statement is to “promote, grow and develop tennis.”

IMG is a business and businesses are built to make money.

It’s a very expensive proposition to run a Masters 1000 tournament of Miami’s size and you can’t fault the tournament owner for trying to turn a profit.

That said, would it drastically pinch the bottom line to let kids into qualies free? The US Open, with the exception of one year, offers free qualies to fans of all ages.

We realize the USTA’s mission statement is to grow the game, and that’s not IMG’s responsibility. Still, common sense says you grow your own future audience if you make this tournament more accessible to kids.

Florida is a tennis hot house. Look at all the people lining up for player selfies and signatures—most are kids. Why not open the qualies up free of charge for children? They may well have such a great time, the whole family pays full ticket prices to comeback.

If you’re Miami Open ownership do you really want your crown jewel final overshadowed by an ESPN made-for-TV pickleball event starring Hall of Famers Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick and Michael Chang?

I am not suggesting pickleball overshadowed the Miami Open. I am saying the Miami Open can uniquely capture tennis buzz among younger fans because so many young Floridians are players too.

Remember, Alcaraz’s run to the 2022 Miami title not only was his first Masters title, it solidified him as a star. Younger fans flocked to Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner, Emma Raducanu, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Frances Tiafoe and Bianca Andreescu in practice sessions we saw.

Tennis likes to tout it’s Next Gen approach, how about embracing the Next Gen fans before pickleball beats you to it?

Suggestions

Food Drive for Qualifying Tickets

Offer kids one free qualifying day when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. Or emulate what Delray Beach offers every year: A community food drive where fans who bring a certain amount of canned food receive one ticket to a qualifying session with the food going to a community centers.

Uber Pick Up Site

If I had $10 for every time someone stopped me and asked “Where do I find the Uber pick up site?” I could buy you and everyone reading this a ticket to the tournament and probably have enough cash left over to treat you to pizza too.

Holding the site map in my hand now—the tournament has small, free site maps that detail every court, restaurant, bathroom and beverage spot—and I don’t see it listed. Seems like if one exists it could be more clearly marked and if one doesn’t exist they can create one.




I asked a few media and staffers who live in Miami what is the best approach locals take?

They told me walk across the street to the Dunkin Donuts the corner, have the Uber meet you there as it’s right at the corner of NW 27th Avenue and easy to spot.

Turf Toe

Much of the site is covered with green turf which helps reduce the heat and also seemed to lessen ponding after sudden rains.

In general, the turf is a positive to the site.

The exceptions to that were after rains or sometimes in heavy trafficked areas, the seams where two pieces of turf meet, could bubble up creating a mini trip wire for fans who were talking on their phone not paying attention to where they were walking.

It wasn’t a chronic issue, but definitely a concern for older fans who are unsteady on their feet or for tech heads who walk around with their eyes on their phone screens or for Tequila fans who had one too many—if you’re not paying attention, you can trip up.

Raise the Roof

Seriously, Hard Rock Stadium is the biggest stadium in the sport. How big?

You could drop Arthur Ashe Stadium inside of it and still have room to run laps around it.

So we're in the biggest stadium in the sport yet I saw some taller players—Daniil Medvedev, Christopher Eubanks, Karen Khachanov—nearly grazing their heads walking through the tunnel underneath the stands entering the stadium.

Granted, the 6'6" Medvedev, the 6'7" Eubanks and 6'6" Khachanov are some of the tallest trees in tennis not named Long John Isner, but still it looks cheesy that such a massive stadium has such a low-ceiling tunnel.

When Eubanks was walking tall through the creeping tunnel onto court before the biggest match of his career—the quarterfinal against Medvedev—it evoked memories of the late, great Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka leading golden-ticket winners through the tiny musical door into a world of pure imagination on the vast chocolate factory floor.

I've been in telephone booths—when telephone booths existed—with more head room.

On the flip side, the scant head room adds an element of suspense to the pre coin toss: will he get stuck in the tunnel or make the toss?

Remember when Rafa, doing kangaroo jumps, knocked his head on the door overhang at Wimbledon? If Rafa was jumping in the Miami Open tunnel, he'd need Tyson's training headgear or his head would be through the roof.

Players Pick Theme Song

The sound system in Hard Rock Stadium is one of the best I've heard in any North American tennis stadium. The music is clear and booming with a major mix from AC/DC to Bob Marley to Bon Jovi to Stevie Wonder to Justin Bieber to Taylor Swift to Santana to Salsa to Kool & The Gang Not only that, Miami fans respond to music: pumping up the volume revved up the crowd.

So why play the same predictable theme song every time a player walks on court? 

Novak Djokovic

Let the players choose their entrance song because it engages both players and fans. If you allow players to pick their walk on song you wouldn't see so many wearing giant head phones trying to tune up for tennis and you'd give fans an insight into the mood the player's trying to set.

Years ago, when the WTA Finals were called the Chase Championships and staged in Madison Square Garden, they allowed players to choose their walk on song one year. Then world no. 1 Martina Hingis selected the Tina Turner hit "Simply the Best." When I asked what prompted that pick, Hingis replied "Because I'm the best!"

Novak Djokovic

Miami writer West Lamy asked Carlos Alcaraz about the Travis Scott Nike sneakers he wore into one post-match presser and wondered if the 19-year-old Spaniard was a Travis Scott fan?

“I love his sneakers, I love the sneakers that he has with Nike, but I, well, I have listened to a few songs about him, but I don't listen him too much,” Alcaraz said. “But of course he's really talented musician.”

Jon Bon Jovi was at the men's final imagine one of the players playing his music or Jamie Foxx’s music with either in attendance?

As Kool & The Gang told Miami fans "There's a party going on right here" and it was fun and festive celebration at Hard Rock.

 

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