Nothing about the 2021 Miami Open was quite normal, as the pandemic forced organizers to host a scaled down version of the 36-year-old tennis tournament.

Instead of 300,000 fans roaming the grounds over the two-week event, fewer than 30,000 showed up. Instead of an endless array of chic dining options, there was a row of food trucks and a few ...Read more

MIAMI — Jannik Sinner, an Italian teenager who was a top junior skier, reached the highest peak of his nascent tennis career on Friday, advancing to the Miami Open final.

Seeded No. 21, Sinner was considered an underdog in his semifinal against veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, but the 19-year-old showed maturity beyond his years in a 5...Read more

MIAMI — Tennis fans in Greece were having quite the week, staying up until the wee hours to watch on TV as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari turned the Miami Open into a Big Fat Greek Tennis Tournament.

In a nation with limited tennis history, Tsitsipas and Sakkari have been making as many headlines as NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, ...Read more

The absence of headliners Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal – “the cyborgs of tennis” in the words of world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev -- means the Miami Open title is up for grabs among a group of younger, less-heralded players.

Medvedev, the top seed, is the favorite heading into Round of 16 after hobbling his way through the ...Read more

MIAMI — Naomi Osaka learned to play tennis on the courts of Broward County, bouncing from Pembroke Pines to Pompano Beach to Cooper City to Miramar. She also learned how to handle South Florida’s heat and humidity, which proved helpful on Friday during her midday Miami Open second-round match.

Osaka, the world No. 2 and defending Australian...Read more

Forgive Ashleigh Barty, the world’s top-ranked player, if she seemed a little rusty before rallying to beat qualifier Kristina Kucova 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in her opening Miami Open match Thursday afternoon.

That she lasted 2 1/2 hours in 82-degree heat was remarkable considering Barty spent 45 hours in transit to get to Miami from Australia (two ...Read more

MIAMI — Like just about every business across the world, professional tennis has taken a major financial hit during the pandemic. The sport relies heavily on ticket revenue and on-site food and retail sales, and most tournaments have had either no fans or very limited fans.

As a result, prize money has been drastically reduced.

The prize ...Read more

The second day of the Miami Open began with the withdrawal of former No. 1 Andy Murray. By the end of the day, another fan favorite — 40-year-old Venus Williams — was headed home after a hard-fought match that went to a 12-10 tiebreaker.

Williams, in her 21st appearance at the event, has slipped to No. 79 in the world rankings but remains a...Read more

The scaled-down Miami Open tennis tournament got underway on a sun-splashed Monday at Hard Rock Stadium with 48 qualifying matches spread over 10 courts. Like everything else during the pandemic, it looked and felt different than normal.

For one thing, a giant tented COVID-19 vaccine site is across the parking lot from the tennis event. ...Read more

The Miami Open lost another big name Tuesday, as Rafael Nadal withdrew due to a back injury.

“I am very sorry to announce that I won’t be playing in Miami this year,” Nadal announced. “It’s a city that I love being and playing in, but for the moment I need to fully recover from my back problem and start to get ready for the upcoming ...Read more

Kim Clijsters is out of the Miami Open, but Andy Murray may be in.

Former world No. 1 Clijsters, twice retired and now a 37-year-old mother of three, announced on Sunday that she is withdrawing from the Miami Open tennis tournament, which begins March 22 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Meanwhile, SkySports reported that another former No. 1, Andy Murray...Read more

MIAMI — Former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters, twice retired and now a 37-year-old mother of three, accepted a wild card to play in the Miami Open tennis tournament, which begins March 22 at Hard Rock Stadium.

It will be her first time back since 2012. She won the event in 2005 and 2010.

The affable Belgian, one of the most popular players on ...Read more

The instant he felt the snap of an abdominal muscle, Novak Djokovic feared his attempt to win a third straight Australian Open title would end prematurely and endanger his quest for his 18th Grand Slam singles championship.

He guessed he had torn a muscle when he skidded on the court during his third-round match against Taylor Fritz, a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Jennifer Brady knew early on that Naomi Osaka would be someone to reckon with someday.

While growing up in Florida they often faced each other in local junior tennis tournaments. Osaka made an especially strong impression on Brady in one event. "I think she was just coming up, maybe inside the top 200, and I remember playing her...Read more