The Miami Open underwent a massive change as it changed venues back in 2019.
The Masters 1000 tournament, takes place immediately after the Indian Wells Masters, and is the second event in what is known by fans as the ‘Sunshine Double’.
It is a tournament fans enjoy attending and the players love to compete in, the conditions are very different from the slower and breezier conditions from Indian Wells.
But the venue changed six years ago which evoked a polarising response, and two former ATP Tour players have since shared their view on the incident.
Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson compare the new Miami Open venue to the old one
From 1987 to 2018, the Miami Open was played at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, South Florida. Since 2019, the tournament has been held at Hard Rock Stadium, which is located in Miami Gardens.
There has been a divisive reaction to the Miami Open’s new venue, and two former ATP players, Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson, think there is one problem with the venue.
Johnson, who preferred the old venue, said: “Crandon Park from a tennis aspect is immensely better but as a player I did enjoy the facilities of the Hard Rock better
“Locker rooms, showers, food – way better than Crandon Park. The locker rooms at Crandon Park, not good. The showers I thought were kind of gross. It wasn’t my thing but I preferred to play tennis at the courts.
“The feel was so much better around the grounds at Key Biscayne. The Hard Rock is just so spread out, you are just in a parking lot and there are 20 practice courts. Two lines. It’s just kind of a bummer of a set up, so I preferred Crandon Park for sure.”
Querrey, who was in agreement, added: “Jack and I just had the same reaction. The facilities are the same at both! The women in Hard Rock get the Dolphins locker room, the men are in the away locker room, it’s not even that nice!
“You don’t want your tournaments to be that spread out. Crandon Park was a tennis venue, the night matches were electric. Now it feels like it’s too spread out.
“The practice courts are in one long row. The main stadium is within a football stadium. I don’t know the vibe is bad, honestly. I hope the Miami Open one day stays in Miami but goes to a tennis venue!”
Nick Kyrgios shares his thoughts on the Miami Open venue
Another player who recently shared their thoughts on the Miami Open venue is Nick Kyrgios.
The Australian made his first appearance at the tournament since 2022, and he has always enjoyed playing in front of the fans in Florida.
But like Querrey and Johnson, Kyrgios said he prefers the old venue at Crandon Park. “The fans are so interactive here,” said Kyrgios.
“This should be the fifth Slam, let’s put that to bed right now. This is by far the best Masters event in the world. It’s not even close. There is so much to do in Miami.
“I am not going to lie, I did prefer Crandon Park better. This is alright but Crandon Park had a buzz about it, I think no other tournament had.
“But there is a lot of things to do outside of the tennis courts in Miami, things get a bit cheeky out there! There are some great food spots and it’s amazing.”
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