![\"Image](\"https:\/\/assets.vogue.com\/photos\/69c695f596b05ad9a1e68db3\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Screenshot%25202026-03-27%2520at%252008.35.27.png\"\/)
<\/picture><\/span><\/div>\nSofia Espinosa Tcherassi, Olivia Elliott<\/span>Photo by: Ryan Sides<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n As a kid, I remember what is now known as the Miami Open presented by Ita\u00fa blasting on my grandparents\u2019 old TV set in their Florida home. My siblings and I visited them every spring break, and I have distinct recollections of running in from the beach, sand still on my feet, and parking myself in front of my grandfather\u2019s chair to watch the annual tennis tournament and stars like Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, and Martina Hingis (I also remember getting annoyed when he\u2019d toggle between the tennis and The Golf Channel).<\/p>\n Back then, the more quaint-feeling event was called the Lipton Championships\u2014before it would later become commonly known as the Sony Ericsson Open. And it was all played on leafy Key Biscayne, a well-heeled\u2014but sleepy\u2014island about seven miles southeast of Downtown.<\/p>\n These days, the Miami Open is a different entity altogether; a major juggernaut that unfurls beneath the arena floodlights of Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, layered with myriad dining and bar options, and infused with the kinetic energy for which the Magic City is so well known. Outside of the Grand Slams, tennis\u2019s next major threshold consists of \u201c1000-level\u201d tournaments. The U.S. hosts three of them: Miami, the BNP Paribas Open (near Palm Springs, California), and Cincinnati.\u00a0<\/p>\n You can guess where the biggest party is.<\/p>\n \u201cMiami in general has so, so many options,\u201d the tournament\u2019s director (and former pro player) James Blake told Vogue<\/em>. \u201cThe top players will always be here, so die-hard tennis fans love it. But we\u2019re really thinking about the casual fans, too, and how to deliver a better experience to them with more and more options. We\u2019re really trying to weave in the fabric of Miami\u2019s culture, with lots of music, fun, and food\u2014even the arts.\u201d<\/p>\n On the Hard Rock\u2019s grounds, crowd-pleasing eateries such as Miami Slice (pizza), Omakai (sushi), and Suviche (Peruvian) often garner long lines. Murals by local artists dot the setup. A padel<\/a> pop-up was even placed just inside the entrance. And that\u2019s just the beginning: MARI, a live events and experiences company, is the tournament\u2019s new owner and it is looking to propel its appeal even further for the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n The buzz doesn\u2019t end at Hard Rock\u2019s gates either; the Miami Open also sees many major pop-up events, parties, and charitable initiatives hosted throughout the area, particularly during the early stages of the tournament when more players (and their sponsors) are in town.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ahead of this weekend\u2019s finals, we spotlight some of the standout social moments in and around the event\u2014a showcase of performance, a city-wide spectacle and, now, a cultural calendar mainstay. Vamos!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n