By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Monnday, January 29, 2024
The Miami Open is growing into a racquet sport celebration.
The 2024 Miami Open presented by Itaú announced today that tournament will feature an elite wheelchair event and two-day Major League Pickleball (MLP) tournament, marking the first-time both events will take place at any 1000 series tournament.
More: James Blake on Miami Open
The Miami Open is set for March 17-31st at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Daniil Medvedev is defending Miami Open men’s champion, Petra Kvitova won the 2023 Miami Open women’s crown and is not planning to defend her title as she’s pregnant with her first child.
From March 26-28, wheelchair tennis will make its debut in Miami.
Japan’s Shingo Kunieda, 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. A collection of 16 top MLP pros will showcase their incredible talents during the All-Star tournament, complete with round robin pool play and three playoff matches.
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.”
In an interview with Tennis Now at the 2023 Miami Open, Tournament Director Blake said the goal is to create an entertainment experience.
“When I first came on board I definitely wanted to make it more of an event,” Blake told Tennis Now. “We’re always going to have the world’s best tennis, which is obviously our main focus and is always going to be here for the die-hard fans who want to see the best tennis in the world. “But we’re also committed to creating an event around it as well. So yeah, here we have the ability to add all this unbelievable food, incredible beverages, all the activities to go along with it. And…
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