Miami Open tennis tournament to include pickleball, wheelchair division for first time
The pickleball craze has made its way to the Miami Open tennis tournament.
Event officials announced Monday that the 2024 tournament will include an elite wheelchair event and Major League Pickleball (MLP), the first time both events will be included at this level of tournament.
The Miami Open, March 17-31 at Hard Rock Stadium, is one of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournaments and its list of champions includes Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena and Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters, Steffi Graf, and Carlos Alcaraz.
The 2023 men’s final featured winner Daniil Medvedev and runner-up Jannik Sinner. The two met again at the 2024 Australian Open final last weekend, and Sinner won. The women’s Miami Open defending champion is Petra Kvitova.
Wheelchair tennis will make its Miami Open debut March 26-28. Japan’s Shingo Kunieda, a four-time Paralympic gold medalist and winner of 28 major singles titles, will be the tournament director with Grand Slam champions, Great Britain’s Gordon Reid and Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez already confirmed in the field.
Major League Pickleball (MLP) will also make its debut from March 27-29, featuring a pro-am and two-day tournament starring 16 of the world’s best players. Additional events will include the MLP stars playing alongside celebrities in a Pro-Am round robin tournament and a Pro-Am team exhibition match.
“We are delighted to welcome both wheelchair tennis players and MLP stars to this year’s Miami Open presented by Itaú,” tournament director James Blake said. “We want to continue to build on the festival atmosphere that is now so synonymous with the Open and we are proud to be the first 1000 series event to showcase elite wheelchair tennis and pickleball athletes to our fans.”
Among the additions to the event’s wide array of culinary options: pop-ups of David Chang’s Fuku Chicken, Cheeseburger Baby, and Ella’s Oyster Bar. Returning are: Sushi Maki, Kiki on the River, and Bodega Taqueria y Tequila. A new premium option inside the stadium is seafood restaurant Milos.
For ticket information, go to miamiopen.com