The 2016 edition of the Miami Open is about to begin. This comes on the heels of Novak Djokovic beating Milos Raonic in the Indian Wells final. The ATP Tour packs its bags and moves to the opposite side of the United States for one more big hardcourt tournament preceding the shift to clay in April.
Beyond just the tennis on the court, it’s been a week filled with drama in the world of tennis after some extremely sexist comments by Indian Wells CEO Raymond Moore. Serena Williams was particularly offended and responded with her own comments. Djokovic also responded, but he had some odd words himself that made people wonder if he’s a bit sexist. At any rate, Moore has stepped down. It will be good for the players to get back on the courts this week and put this off-court stuff behind them.
The competition in the 96-player main draw began on Wednesday, March 23.
Event Details
Event: Miami Open (Key Biscayne)
Category: ATP World Tour – Masters 1000
Date: March 23 – April 3, 2016
Location: Crandon Park Tennis Center – Key Biscayne, Florida
With a prize money allotment of over $6.1 million and an overall financial commitment of over $7 million, the Miami Open matters. It is particularly big for players who either didn’t do anything in Indian Wells or who know that they’re not likely to fare very well on clay over the next two coming months. They need to load up on points and prize money now before the terrain becomes less friendly.
The points structure under the ATP system is that the championship means 1,000 points. A runner-up finish is worth 600. A semifinal result is 360 points, and a quarterfinal appearance offers 180 points. A round-of-16 results provides 90 points, a round-of-32 showing 45 points.
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2015 – Novak Djokovic def. Andy Murray – 7-6, 4-6, 6-0
2014 – Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal – 6-3, 6-3
2013 – Andy Murray def. David Ferrer – 2-6, 6-4, 7-6
2012 – Novak Djokovic def. Andy Murray – 6-1, 7-6
2011 – Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal – 4-6, 6-3, 7-6
Player Info:
Like Indian Wells, Miami is one of the two tournaments in the yearly ATP Tour schedule with a 96-player main draw, tucked between the 128 of a Grand Slam and the 64 at one of the seven conventional Masters 1000 tournaments. This is not anything which needs to be explained – much like Indian Wells, all the big dogs are going to be here unless injury concerns are part of the picture. Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, and Andy Murray on hand. Roger Federer did not play Indian Wells due to continuous injury rehabilitation, but he’s now fit enough to play and at least try to test his game before the upcoming claycourt season in April. This will be a very intriguing spot for Federer after nearly two full months of time away from the tour. Rafael Nadal, Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer, Juan Martin del Potro, Kei Nishikori, and still others will be in this tournament. One player who probably won’t be – though it’s not official just yet – is Milos Raonic, who suffered an injury in the Indian Wells final against Djokovic and will probably have to skip Miami as a precaution. Even without Raonic, though, this is a deep field, and all the players who didn’t really do that much in Indian Wells will be deeply motivated to make something of their stay in Miami, on America’s other coastline.
Crandon Park Tennis Center
The Crandon Park Tennis Center is one of the most important tennis hubs in the United States. The prestigious and historic Orange Bowl junior tennis tournament is held here. A lot of great tennis careers have been birthed in that junior event. South Florida in general, not just Miami, is and has been a hotbed of tennis for a long time. Multiple communities in the state of Florida host tennis academies where the game is taught by the foremost experts in the world. Players from other nations train throughout Florida, and this is one base of operations. The United States Tennis Association holds tournaments and other important events in Crandon Park.
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