Miami Open Has Heavy Marketing, Hard Rock, Happy Halep; But Not Novak, Nadal
Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 02:36PM By Barry Janoff
March 16, 2024: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, defending men's Daniil Medvedev, Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, Caroline Wozniacki, Venus Williams and Simona Halep are among those on the entry lists for the Miami Open presented by Itaú ATP-WTA Masters 1000.
Defending champion Petra Kvitova is not playing this year, having announced her pregnancy.
Gauff, from Delray Beach, Fla. won the 2023 Miami Open doubles title with Jessica Pegula.
Given his withdrawal from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., it is no surprise that Rafael Nadal is not on the ATP list.
World No. 1 ranked Novak Djokovic has also withdrawn from the Miami Open, he said today (March 16).
His decision comes after losing to 123rd-ranked Luca Nardi in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., on March 11.
He has won the Miami Open six times but has not played in it since 2019.
Organizers of the Miami Open — to be played in Hard Rock Stadium, March 17-31 (Tennis Channel) — said a record number of tournament partners have confirmed their support both on- and off-court.
Returning partners include Itaú, the incumbent presenting partner since 2015, along with Betway, Cadillac, Emirates, Hologic, Lacoste, Seabourn and Tecnifibre.
New partners include Electrolit (official sports drink), Fresh Del Monte (official produce supplier), Siggi’s (official yogurt), La Roche-Posay, (official sunscreen), Moroccanoil (official hair care partner), Longi (official solar and hydrogen sponsor), Protective Life Corporation (official insurance provider and entitlement partner of the Member Rooftop) and El Salvador Tourism,
In addition, this will be the second ATP-related event but first at Miami with Saudi Arabia’s PIF (following the BNP Paribas Open) under a just-signed a five-year alliance that will see PIF become the official naming partner of the ATP Rankings, with players seeking year-end No. 1 ranking, presented by PIF, crowned at the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held in Turin, Italy thru 2025.
PIF will also partner with ATP Tour events in Madrid and Beijing.
“We are delighted to welcome ten new sponsors to this year’s Miami Open presented by Itaú and particularly gratified to have more than 20 returning partners, demonstrating how mutually beneficial they have found their experiences at the tournament over the years,” Josh Ripple, svp-Tennis Events at IMG, which owns and organizes the Miami Open, said via the Tournament.
“The commitment of all our sponsors to deliver the most culturally immersed tennis festival on the tour circuit with best-in-class food and beverage offerings and experiences for our fans makes us confident that this will be the best and most attended edition to date.”
The total financial commitment the Miami Open is $17,991,110. The men’s and women’s champion will each earn $1.1 million, the runners-up 4585,000 each.
According to Djokovic on his social media platforms, “Hi Miami! Unfortunately, I won’t be playing at the Miami Open this year. At this stage of my career, I’m balancing my private and professional schedule. I’m sorry that I won’t experience some of the best and most passionate fans in the world. I’m looking forward to competing in Miami in the future!
“I’m going to obviously analyze what was done, what could have been done better, and then move on. I do play fewer tournaments, so I’m more selective with my schedule. So, of course it’s not great feeling when you, you know, drop out very early in the tournament . . . I really wanted to do well. But wasn’t meant to be. We move on.”
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, dropped out of the BNP Paribas Open on the eve of what would have been his first ATP-sanctioned match since January, but not after playing Alcaraz in The Netflix Slam exhibition on March 3.
That exhibition, won by Alcalez in three sets (3-6, 6-4, 14-12 tie-break), was hosted by MGM Resorts International and streamed live on Netflix from the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Nadal would have been hard-pressed to withdraw from The Netflix Slam, having flown in from Spain and with Netflix pumping up the exhibition with a sold-out 10,000-seat venue.
There was no indication how much Nadal and Alcaraz were paid for the event.
Netflix was all in on Nadal and Alcaraz, with on-and off-court commentary and play-by-play from Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mary Joe Fernández, and Patrick McEnroe; and guest attendees that included Charlize Theron, Lindsey Vonn, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
According to Variety, many of Netflix’ executive team also showed up.
But by March 5, Nadal was out of Indian Wells, giving all indications that he would also bypass the Miami Open and not return to sanctioned ATP action until the start of clay-court season en route to the Roland Garros Grand Slam in Paris (May 20-June 9).
Halep is scheduled to play in her first Hologic WTA Tour event since the two-time Grand Slam winner and former No. 1 player had her ban due to positive drug testing — enacted In October 2022 — reduced earlier this month by the Court of Arbitration for Sport following Halep’s Appel, cutting the time from four years to nine months.
It was applied retroactively, meaning it expired in July 2023.
Photo: WTAThe three judges decided Halep "established on the balance of probabilities" her positive test for roxadustat, a banned blood-boosting substance, "entered her body through the consumption of a contaminated supplement,” according to AP Sports.
Activation at the Miami Open will also include more than 30 of Miami’s leading restaurants and bars this year as organizers “aim to infuse tennis with the iconic culture of Miami.”
“The fan experience is paramount to everything we do at Hard Rock Stadium, and we are excited to build on the already extensive variety of culinary offerings and add to the action at this year’s Miami Open presented by Itaú,” Chris Clements, svp and chief financial officer of Hard Rock Stadium, said via the Miami Open.
“We pride ourselves on delivering the most culturally immersive tennis tournament with elite on-court action and best-in-class food and beverage.”
BNP Paribas Open Ready To Serve The Stars
Back to Home Page