Best Hacks for Enjoying the Miami Open Tennis Tournament

March 26, 2024

by Bill Ott

If you love live sports, then owning a condo in South Florida will provide you with access to a variety of world class events throughout the year. One can’t miss annual event is the Miami Open tennis tournament held every March at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. In 2023, the 12-day tournament was attended by over 386,000 attendees, making it one of the largest tennis tournaments outside the four Grand Slam tournaments and the attendance has grown every year.

The tournament is part of the ATP Masters 1000 events on the ATP Tour and part of the WTA 1000 events on the WTA Tour and hosts all the world’s top 128 men and women tennis players over the two-week event. The Miami Open immediately follows the Indian Wells Open with the two hard court tournaments being dubbed the "Sunshine Double" due to the events being held at opposite coasts.

The tournament started in 1987 and was originally held at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida until 2018. Although this location created a great tennis environment the popularity challenged the island to support the traffic and demand for tickets. The tournament moved to the Hard Rock Stadium complex in 2019.

The well-planned move culminated with a major remodel that included building 8 permanent tournament courts with spectator accommodations and 18 practice courts. The stadium court is a temporary structure located inside Hardrock Stadium and leverages the existing seating on the south-west side of the stadium. A temporary u-shaped spectator seating structure surrounds three sides of the main court within close proximity to the action. This facility leverages the existing concessions and bathrooms of the stadium which make for a high-end experience.

All courts are equipped with electronic line calling technology, so conflicts are minimized, and the fans have availability of video replay screens, match stats and live scores from other matches. These technologies enhance the experience and allow you to keep track of the other matches going on within the complex.

Ticketing can be purchased online for the entire event or by session. There are day and evening sessions each day so if attending a single session, you will need to purchase tickets accordingly. There are several individual session ticket options including purchasing an assigned seat in the Stadium or Grandstand or you can purchase a Grounds Pass. The Stadium ticket allows access to all courts, whereas the Grandstand ticket includes a assigned seat in the Grandstand and access to all courts except the Stadium. The Grounds Pass does not include assigned seating and will let you into the general admission areas of all courts except the Stadium.

The grounds surrounding the courts have been well planned with ample comfortable seating areas and shade to allow for a break from the sun. There are many food and drink options throughout the complex from fast casual to sit down seating with servers. The prices for everything are steep so plan this into your budget if planning to stay for the entire session.

Some of our favorite spots to eat are in the Palm Court. There are dedicated areas for the main liquor sponsors for 2024 including Dobel Tequila, Botran Rum, Santa Margherita wine, Stella Artois, and Piper-Heidsieck Champagne. You'll also find spots for local favorite eateries like Bodega Taqueria y Tequila, American Social, Kiki On The River, Julia & Henry’s, Suviche, and Omakai Sushi.

Additionally, you'll find opportunities to buy tennis gear, memorabilia, and clothing. Lacoste and Tennis Plaza offer extensive full-service stores with a wide range of apparel, shoes, and Miami Open branded merchandise, ensuring you'll remember your visit. Smaller merchandise outlets are also scattered throughout the grounds and within the Stadium for your convenience.

For the enthusiastic fan, spending time at the practice courts offers a thrilling experience of watching your favorite players warm up. With close access to them, you can even find seating at some courts where popular players practice. There's a chance to secure an autograph before or after their practice session, although getting close to the players during matches can be challenging.

Living in a condo in South Florida provides easy access to an enjoyable day at the Miami Open. You do not have to be an avid tennis fan to enjoy the experience as there are many things to do and see outside the courts. Since Condo Journey has been to the event over several years we have provided some tips to make your day more enjoyable.

Condo Journey Hacks:

Parking at the facility poses quite the adventure, so brace yourself! Be sure to plan ahead because it can be a journey of its own. It might take more than an hour from the time you get close to the stadium to actually park and make your way into the grounds. Last year, it turned into a bit of a saga for us, leading to a comical need for a drink once we finally made it inside!

Utilizing a rideshare service is a much more relaxing experience but can get costly if traveling more than 5 miles. The cost to get to the event can be reasonable but can skyrocket for the return trip due to demand pricing policies.

The Rideshare drop-off is located at Gate 18 which is convenient if traveling from the west on NW 199th Street. We came from the east and just had the driver pull over near the Black South parking lot. Getting a ride upon leaving was challenging as the published pickup location was at Gate 17, however, there is nowhere for the driver to stop and the app would only allow a pickup at Gate 18 so plan your pick up there.

A way around the frustration of parking close to the facility is to find a public parking lot within a few miles of the stadium and utilize a ride-share for the remainder of the trip. It will drop you off close the stadium so the time will be much shorter and your rideshare fees will be lower.

Ticketmaster is the dedicated seller and reseller of tickets for the event. This is the easiest method to purchase tickets and shop around for the best prices and can instantly be downloaded to your phone. This allows for purchasing tickets just prior to entering the venue from someone that is looking to dump tickets.

You can still buy tickets through other online brokers or leverage options like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. You may be able to find better pricing but this comes with a bit more risk and hassle to get the tickets.

Resale ticket prices are cheaper for earlier days of the tournament when the lower seeded players typically play. The weekday sessions tend to be lower priced than evening and weekend sessions as they typically schedule the higher ranked and more popular players at night and weekends see a higher demand for tickets.

If you are planning to park onsite pre-purchase a pass to the Yellow lot online for $25. The price goes up if you purchase parking in-person and adds additional time to the parking process.

If you want to avoid sitting in the sun in the Stadium it is best to purchase a ticket in the permanent seats as they are shaded for all matches. These seats are closest to the food, beverage and bathroom facilities but are not as close to the action as the temporary stands. If the temperatures and humidity are moderate, you may want to bring a light jacket as it can get a bit chilly in the shade.

Small purses and bags are not checked but if you bring a larger purse or backpack make sure it is clear or otherwise you will be making a long walk back to your car.

You receive a Campus Map upon entering the facility and this is somewhat helpful in finding your way around the campus to the food and beverage options so make sure you grab a copy when entering the grounds.

There are no match schedules handed out or posted upon entry to the facility. To ensure you get to see the entire match of your favorite player download the Miami Open app ahead of time and review the schedule by court prior to arriving.

If you are looking for a great spot to watch a match while grabbing some food or drink check out the upper deck of the Sunset Terrace. It includes two levels of shaded seating directly above Buckholtz Stadium. This court usually has some great matches but will you need to get there early to get a seat.

It is best if you are seated prior to the match starting as you have to wait up to 3 games to enter the court areas so as not distract the players. You can miss a could part of a set if you arrive late.

There are many vendor booths throughout the grounds that are marketing their products and services. Check them out as they typically offer many free product giveaways.

The venue offers Piper-Heidsieck Sky View which is a gondola ride over the grounds. This may be a good activity to start your experience as you will get a lay of the land to plan your day. You will get a good view of who is on the practice courts and even see much of the F1 Miami track. An adult ticket costs $10.

Even though the tournament is held at the end of March it can still be very hot so plan ahead with the proper clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen. The courts outside of the stadium have little options for shade so preparation is essential.

Food and beverage pricing is outrageous and those on a plant based or gluten free diet will be challenged to find anything healthy to eat. Plan ahead and bring some snacks into the event to minimize your expenditures.

It is important that spectators follow proper tennis tournament decorum including:

Do not enter tennis courts

Do not wear clothing with inappropriate messaging or imagery

Do not open umbrellas during play

Do not taunt the players and make any noise while the ball is on their opponent's side of the court
Silence your phones and avoid making or taking calls during a match
Do not get up during a game, as the time between points can last as little as a few seconds