Miami Open to allow limited number of fans

The Miami Open is expecting to have 750 fans on the grounds per session for this year’s tournament, and spectators will be allowed to watch matches on the showcase court, organizers announced Tuesday.

The showcase matches will be held in the 5,000-seat grandstand, but seating will be limited to 15 percent capacity due to COVID-19 protocols.

The tournament, which was canceled last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will be held from March 22-April 4, in Miami Gardens, Fla.

The Miami Open’s official website didn’t confirm the exact number of fans who will allowed to attend, stating only: “We will welcome a select number of fans back to the Miami Open outdoor tennis campus at Hard Rock Stadium for the 2021 event.”

The tournament also is getting rid of the Stadium Court within Hard Rock Stadium, which is the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, according to the event’s website.

Attendance for this year’s event is expected to be around 18,000, a major drop compared to the 388,734 spectators who attended the 2019 event, when the tournament was moved from Key Biscayne to Hard Rock Stadium, per reports.

The event generally draws the sport’s biggest stars. In 2019, Roger Federer defeated John Isner in straight sets to claim the men’s singles title, while Karolina Pliskova beat Ashleigh Barty in straight sets to win the women’s crown.