Attendance at this year's tournament is limited to a maximum of 1,000 spectators a day.Photo: Courtesy of Endeavor
In 2019, it drew nearly 400,000 fans over two weeks. (The 2020 tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.) This year, due to restrictions, attendance at the Miami Open presented by Itaú, which began March 22 and runs through April 4 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, is limited to a maximum of 1,000 spectators a day.
Josh Ripple, SVP of tennis events at IMG, credits the Miami Dolphins organization—whose home is the Hard Rock Stadium—for establishing COVID-19 protocols at the venue. “Given the infrastructure in place and based on how they were able to operate safely during the football season, we felt confident we could host a world-class, limited-capacity event that followed CDC guidelines.”
Similar to the NBA bubble concept, the players are tested for COVID-19 and, following a negative result, are allowed to move about the established “Player Protective Environment,” which includes two hotels that are reserved solely for them, the stadium and shuttles, Ripple explained. Since the players aren't able to experience the Miami social scene, Open organizers have turned the football field inside the stadium into an activity field with putt-putt golf, soccer goals, Frisbees, footballs and more, as well as creating game rooms at each hotel for the pros to use when they're not on the court.
The tournament matches take place on three smaller courts around the stadium, as opposed to in the temporary 14,000-seat court that’s typically constructed inside the stadium. Overall, the Open is operating at 15% capacity and is utilizing socially distanced pod seating (of one to six seats together) that is enforced by staff. Fans can also watch the action via video boards while lounging inside cabanas on the stadium plaza. In addition to sitewide cashless payment (fans who don’t have a credit card can exchange cash for gift cards), all silverware and condiments are in single-serving, single-use packaging.
Ripple said he believes some of these safety measures will continue at future events such as “paperless payments, preordering of food and increased hand-sanitizer stations around the venue. While there won’t be mask enforcements, we wouldn’t be surprised if more consumers start wearing face coverings in more and more public settings moving forward."
But despite the downsizing, there are glimpses of prepandemic event life. The Tennis Channel Desk Presented by Cadillac is broadcasting live hits from the grounds; the on-site Lacoste store is stocked with branded merch and accessories; and the Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer Oasis is serving up drinks from a deck-out activation.
See more from inside this year's Miami Open:
