The Miami Open is one of tennis’s biggest combined ATP and WTA tournaments, played on outdoor hard courts at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The 2026 edition ran from March 15–29, with Jannik Sinner winning the men’s title and Aryna Sabalenka claiming the women’s championship.
If you want to understand why the Miami Open Tennis tournament attracts the biggest names in the sport every March, start with the setting: South Florida, hard courts, huge crowds, and two elite professional tours competing during the second half of the Sunshine Double.
The Miami Open is more than another Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event. It combines world-class tennis with the atmosphere of a major sporting festival, making it one of the most recognizable stops on the tennis calendar.
Miami Open Tennis 2026 Quick Facts
| Feature | Miami Open 2026 |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Miami Open presented by Itaú |
| Location | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida |
| Surface | Outdoor hard court |
| ATP Level | ATP Masters 1000 |
| WTA Level | WTA 1000 |
| 2026 Dates | March 15–29 |
| Men’s Champion | Jannik Sinner |
| Women’s Champion | Aryna Sabalenka |
| Men’s Singles Runner-Up | Jiri Lehecka |
| Women’s Singles Runner-Up | Coco Gauff |
| Total Prize Money | $9,415,725 |
| Singles Draw | 96 players |
| Tournament Founded | 1985 |
The tournament is played at Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins, and has been based there since moving from Crandon Park in Key Biscayne in 2019.
What Is the Miami Open?
The Miami Open presented by Itaú is a combined men’s and women’s professional tennis tournament held annually in South Florida.
On the men’s side, it is an ATP Masters 1000 event. On the women’s side, it is a WTA 1000 tournament. That puts it among the most important events outside the four Grand Slam tournaments.
The tournament has been part of the tennis calendar since 1985 and has developed into one of the sport’s largest international events.
Its timing is particularly important.
The Miami Open follows the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, creating the famous Sunshine Double. Winning both tournaments in the same year is one of the most difficult achievements on the regular tennis calendar.
Where Is the Miami Open Played?
The Miami Open is played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The tournament previously took place at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne. After the 2018 tournament, Miami Open organizers moved the event to Hard Rock Stadium, beginning a new era for the tournament in 2019.
The modern Miami Open campus was designed specifically to create a large-scale tennis and entertainment experience.
The venue includes:
- Stadium Court
- Grandstand
- Butch Buchholz Court
- Practice courts
- Fan entertainment areas
- Food and hospitality areas
- Retail and sponsor spaces
The stadium court itself is one of the tournament’s defining features, creating an unusual combination of a major tennis event and a large American sports stadium.
Miami Open 2026 Dates and Schedule
The 2026 Miami Open took place in March.
The main tournament schedule ran through March 29, 2026, with qualifying and early-round action beginning earlier in the tournament period.
The 2026 event included:
- Men’s singles
- Women’s singles
- Men’s doubles
- Women’s doubles
- Men’s qualifying
- Women’s qualifying
- Wheelchair tennis
The singles finals were played during the final weekend of the tournament.
The Miami Open is traditionally part of the March Sunshine Swing, following Indian Wells and giving players the opportunity to compete for one of tennis’s most prestigious non-Grand-Slam achievements: the Sunshine Double.
Who Won the Miami Open 2026?
The 2026 Miami Open produced two major champions.
Jannik Sinner Won the Men’s Singles Title
Jannik Sinner defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 in the men’s final on March 29, 2026.
The victory gave Sinner another major Masters 1000 title and completed the Sunshine Double for the Italian.
Sinner had also won Indian Wells earlier in the same season.
That made the Miami victory especially significant because he became the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same year.
Even more remarkably, Sinner completed the two-tournament run without dropping a set.
Aryna Sabalenka Won the Women’s Singles Title
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the women’s final.
The victory gave Sabalenka her second consecutive Miami Open women’s singles championship.
It was also a historic Sunshine Double.
Sabalenka became the fifth woman to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, joining:
- Steffi Graf
- Kim Clijsters
- Victoria Azarenka
- Iga Swiatek
The 2026 final also had a strong home-crowd storyline because Gauff was competing in front of a large South Florida audience.
2026 Miami Open Champions
| Event | 2026 Champion |
|---|---|
| Men’s Singles | Jannik Sinner |
| Women’s Singles | Aryna Sabalenka |
| Men’s Doubles | Simone Bolelli / Andrea Vavassori |
| Women’s Doubles | Taylor Townsend / Katerina Siniakova |
The tournament therefore produced champions from several different tennis backgrounds, with Sinner and Sabalenka taking the headline singles trophies.
Why Is the Miami Open So Important?
The Miami Open matters because of where it sits on the tennis calendar.
Players arrive in Miami after competing in Indian Wells, another Masters 1000/WTA 1000 event. The two tournaments form the heart of the Sunshine Swing.
A player who wins both must handle:
- Different conditions
- Consecutive high-level tournaments
- Long matches
- Travel and recovery
- Strong international fields
- Pressure from the final stages of both events
That is why the Sunshine Double is such a demanding accomplishment.
The Miami Open also awards 1,000 ranking points to the singles champion on both the ATP and WTA tours.
Miami Open 2026 Prize Money
The 2026 Miami Open had a total financial commitment of $9,415,725.
For singles, the prize-money structure included:
| Round | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Champion | $1,151,380 |
| Finalist | $612,340 |
| Semifinal | $340,190 |
| Quarterfinal | $193,645 |
| Round of 16 | $105,720 |
| Round of 32 | $61,865 |
| Round of 64 | $36,110 |
| First Round | $24,335 |
The singles champion also received 1,000 ranking points, making the tournament valuable for both earnings and ranking position.
Which Players Compete at the Miami Open?
The Miami Open traditionally attracts a deep field because it is one of the most important events immediately outside the Grand Slams.
The 2026 men’s field included stars such as:
- Jannik Sinner
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Novak Djokovic
- Alexander Zverev
- Alex de Minaur
- Lorenzo Musetti
- Felix Auger-Aliassime
- Ben Shelton
- Taylor Fritz
- Tommy Paul
The women’s field was similarly strong, with players including:
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Iga Swiatek
- Elena Rybakina
- Coco Gauff
- Jessica Pegula
- Amanda Anisimova
- Jasmine Paolini
- Mirra Andreeva
Because the tournament features both tours, fans can watch many of the sport’s biggest stars during the same two-week tennis festival.
Miami Open Surface: Is It Hard Court?
Yes.
The Miami Open is played on outdoor hard courts.
Hard courts generally reward players who can combine baseline consistency, aggressive shot-making, movement and quick reactions.
However, conditions can change the feel of the tournament.
Miami’s heat, humidity and wind can influence rallies, ball speed and player fatigue. That makes physical conditioning particularly important, especially during long matches.
Miami Open vs Indian Wells
The Miami Open and Indian Wells are often discussed together because they form the Sunshine Double.
| Feature | Miami Open | Indian Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Miami Gardens, Florida | Indian Wells, California |
| Surface | Outdoor hard | Outdoor hard |
| ATP Level | Masters 1000 | Masters 1000 |
| WTA Level | WTA 1000 | WTA 1000 |
| Timing | March | March |
| Sunshine Double | Second tournament | First tournament |
The challenge is not simply winning two tournaments.
Players must maintain elite form across two consecutive high-level events while dealing with different environments and physical demands.
Miami Open History
The Miami Open began in 1985.
The original event was known as the Lipton International Players Championships and quickly established itself as a major combined tennis tournament.
Over the years, the event has featured some of the biggest names in tennis history.
Past men’s champions include:
- Andre Agassi
- Pete Sampras
- Roger Federer
- Novak Djokovic
- Andy Murray
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Jannik Sinner
Past women’s champions include:
- Steffi Graf
- Serena Williams
- Venus Williams
- Monica Seles
- Kim Clijsters
- Victoria Azarenka
- Iga Swiatek
- Aryna Sabalenka
Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi have historically been among the most successful men’s singles players in Miami, while Serena Williams holds the women’s singles record with eight titles.
From Key Biscayne to Hard Rock Stadium
One of the biggest changes in Miami Open history came in 2019.
The tournament left Crandon Park in Key Biscayne after the 2018 edition and moved to Hard Rock Stadium.
The move created a purpose-built tennis campus with expanded courts, improved facilities and a much larger entertainment component.
That change also helped define the modern Miami Open identity.
Today, fans do not simply arrive to watch a match and leave. The tournament has become a combination of professional tennis, food, music, art, hospitality and Miami culture.
Miami Open Wheelchair Tennis
The Miami Open has also expanded its accessibility and competitive program beyond the traditional ATP and WTA competitions.
In 2026, the tournament hosted the inaugural Miami Open WT500 wheelchair tennis tournament, sanctioned by the ITF.
The 2026 wheelchair champions included:
- Men’s Singles: Alfie Hewett
- Women’s Singles: Aniek van Koot
- Men’s Doubles: Gordon Reid / Alfie Hewett
- Women’s Doubles: Angelica Bernal / Zhenzhen Zhu
This added another high-level dimension to the tournament week.
What Makes the Miami Open Different?
There is something unusually visual about tennis in Miami.
You have elite players competing on hard courts while the surrounding environment delivers the energy of South Florida.
The tournament combines:
World-class tennis + Miami culture + major stadium atmosphere + entertainment
That combination has become part of the event’s identity.
The Hard Rock Stadium setting also gives spectators a different experience from a traditional standalone tennis complex.
Who Has Won the Miami Open the Most?
The Miami Open has a long list of multiple champions.
Men’s Singles
Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi have each won the men’s singles title six times, putting them among the most successful players in tournament history.
Roger Federer has also enjoyed major success in Miami, winning the title four times.
Women’s Singles
Serena Williams is the tournament’s most successful women’s singles champion, with eight Miami titles.
Steffi Graf won the tournament five times, while several other champions have collected multiple titles.
The list of past winners gives the Miami Open an unusually strong connection to tennis history.
Is the Miami Open a Grand Slam?
No.
The Miami Open is not a Grand Slam tournament.
The four Grand Slam events are:
- Australian Open
- French Open
- Wimbledon
- US Open
However, the Miami Open is still one of the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.
On the men’s tour, it is an ATP Masters 1000 event.
On the women’s tour, it is a WTA 1000 event.
That means it carries significant ranking points and attracts many of the world’s best players.
When Is the Next Miami Open?
The Miami Open is expected to return in March 2027.
The tournament’s official site currently lists March 14–28, 2027, although those dates are marked subject to change.
The 2027 tournament will again return to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
For fans planning ahead, it is worth checking the official Miami Open schedule before booking flights, hotels or tickets because tournament dates and session schedules can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Miami Open in tennis?
The Miami Open is a major combined men’s and women’s professional tennis tournament held in Miami Gardens, Florida. It is an ATP Masters 1000 event and a WTA 1000 event.
Where is the Miami Open played?
The tournament is played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It moved there from Crandon Park in Key Biscayne in 2019.
Who won the Miami Open in 2026?
Jannik Sinner won the men’s singles title, while Aryna Sabalenka won the women’s singles championship.
Did Sinner win the Sunshine Double in 2026?
Yes. Sinner won both Indian Wells and Miami in 2026, becoming the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the Sunshine Double.
Did Sabalenka win Miami in 2026?
Yes. Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff in the 2026 women’s singles final and successfully defended her Miami Open title.
Is Miami Open played on clay?
No. The Miami Open is played outdoors on hard courts.
Is Miami Open part of the ATP Tour?
Yes. The men’s tournament is an ATP Masters 1000 event.
Is Miami Open part of the WTA Tour?
Yes. The women’s tournament is a WTA 1000 event.
How many ranking points does the Miami Open winner get?
The singles champion receives 1,000 ATP or WTA ranking points.
When is the Miami Open 2027?
The official Miami Open site currently lists March 14–28, 2027, subject to change.
Final Thoughts
The Miami Open Tennis tournament sits in a unique place on the professional calendar: it is not a Grand Slam, but its field, ranking importance, history and atmosphere make it one of the year’s biggest tennis events.
The 2026 edition added another memorable chapter. Jannik Sinner completed the men’s Sunshine Double, Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended the women’s title, and Hard Rock Stadium once again provided the stage for two weeks of elite tennis.
For tennis fans, Miami remains one of the March events that combines high-stakes competition with an unmistakably Miami experience and that is a big reason the tournament continues to stand out on both the ATP and WTA calendars.
Daniel Brooks is a sports writer at SportsOrbitX.com, specializing in football, basketball and global sports news. He focuses on delivering accurate reporting, match analysis and timely updates that keep fans informed.