Miami Open presented Itau- Mensik upsets Djokovic, Sabalenka beats Pegula in Finals- March 2025

April 1, 2025 todd elliot

Miami Open presented by Itaú: Tournament’s 40^th Year Attracts Record 400,000 Fans in 2025
Menšík Wins First Career Title; No. 1 Sabalenka Gets First Miami Win

The 2025 Miami Open delivered a series of unexpected outcomes, particularly in the singles categories, highlighting the dynamic and unpredictable nature of professional tennis.

Men’s Singles Highlights:

Jakub Menšík’s Triumph: 19-year-old Czech qualifier Jakub Menšík clinched the men’s singles title by overcoming Novak Djokovic in a straight-sets final, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–4). This victory marked Menšík’s first ATP Tour title and positioned him as the lowest-ranked champion in Miami Open history, entering the tournament at world No. 54. Wikipedia
Notable Upsets:
- Jannik Sinner’s Absence: The defending champion was notably absent due to a three-month suspension for doping violations, preventing him from defending his title and impacting the tournament’s dynamics.
- Early Exits of Top Seeds: Several seeded players faced early eliminations, contributing to the tournament’s unpredictability. For instance, top seed Alexander Zverev was ousted in the fourth round by Arthur Fils, and second seed Carlos Alcaraz fell in the second round to David Goffin. Wikipedia

Women’s Singles Highlights:

Aryna Sabalenka’s Dominance: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka secured the women’s singles title with a decisive 7–5, 6–2 victory over fourth seed Jessica Pegula. Sabalenka’s performance throughout the tournament was stellar, as she did not drop a set, reinforcing her status as a leading force in women’s tennis. The Guardian
Significant Upsets:
- Iga Świątek’s Early Exit: Despite being a top seed, Iga Świątek was eliminated in the quarterfinals by wildcard Alexandra Eala, marking a significant upset and highlighting Eala’s emerging talent. Wikipedia
- Danielle Collins’ Departure: The defending champion, Danielle Collins, was ousted in the fourth round by Sabalenka, ending her title defense run. Wikipedia

Wheelchair Tennis Highlights:

Men’s Singles: Former world No. 1 Shingo Kunieda made a remarkable comeback to win the men’s singles title, defeating world No. 1 Alfie Hewett in a thrilling match, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-3.
Women’s Singles: Top-seeded Diede De Groot clinched the women’s singles title by overcoming Colombia’s Angelica Bernal, 6-3, 6-5, showcasing her dominance in the wheelchair tennis arena.

These outcomes underscore the competitive and ever-evolving landscape of tennis, where emerging talents frequently challenge established champions, leading to thrilling and unpredictable tournaments.

For more detailed information, visit the official Miami Open website: miamiopen.com.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Open presented by Itaú closed on Sunday after a memorable 15 days of tennis, with Jakub Menšík being crowned the men’s singles champion, the first professional title for the 19-year-old Czech. On Saturday, WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won her 19^th career title and first in Miami, retaining her top ranking.

A Record 400,000+ Fans Descend on Miami Gardens for World-Class Tennis
Since moving from Key Biscayne to Hard Rock Stadium six years ago, the Miami Open presented by Itaú has continued to break attendance records each year a full-capacity tournament has been held (2019, 2022-25). This year’s event was no different as the Miami Open topped 400,000 in attendance for the first time, with 405,448 attendees.

Six sessions set Miami Open attendance records this year, including Opening Day presented by bakerly. The tournament’s first ever free fan event drew a crowd of 18,947, as attendees were able to experience the first day of on-court action, explore the campus’ diverse food and beverage options and were entertained by a fashion show, highlighting exclusive merchandise from the Miami Open Shop and Lacoste.

Other sessions that set attendance records included Wednesday, March 20 (Day-3); Thursday, March 21 (Night-6); Monday, March 24 (Night-12); Tuesday, March 25 (Night-14); and Wednesday, March 26 (Day-15).

Where Tennis Comes to Play
The best men’s and women’s players in the world descended on Hard Rock Stadium for two weeks of thrilling on-court action. The overall depth of the field was on display as seasoned stars shared the stage with young up-and-comers, creating great energy and ambiance on the campus every day.

Men’s Singles Champion: Jakub Menšík
Czech teenager Jakub Menšík scored the win of his young career defeating Novak Djokovic 76(4) 76(4) to claim the Miami Open presented by Itaú men’s singles title. Djokovic’s quest for his 100th ATP Tour title was put on hold as he was unable to break the youngster’s incredible tie-break streak. Menšík won all seven tie-breaks he played in Miami. The win is the first ATP Tour title as well as the ATP Masters 1000 title for the 19-year-old and will take his ranking to No.24 in the PIF ATP rankings.

Women’s Singles Champion: Aryna Sabalenka
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka claimed her maiden Miami Open presented by Itaú title with a 75 62 victory over American Jessica Pegula. Sabalenka lived up to her top seed billing in Miami, not dropping a set en route to the title. In a final that featured multiple breaks of serve in the first set, Sabalenka was able to assert her dominance in the second set, and now leads the head-to-head between the two players 7-2, including their last three meetings. The Miami Open title takes the World No.1 career singles title tally to 19 and is her second title of 2025.

Men’s Doubles Champions: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavice
World No.1 duo Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic completed the Sunshine Double adding the Miami Open presented by Itaú title to the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells title they won earlier this month. They are only the fifth pair to complete the double, and the first since 2016. The top seeds overcame British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool 76(3) 63 in a final briefly interrupted by rain.

Women’s Doubles Champions: Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider
Teenager Mirra Andreeva continued her recent run of WTA Masters 1000 success adding the Miami Open doubles title with partner Diana Shnaider to her recent WTA Masters 1000 Dubai and Indian Wells singles titles. Andreeva and Shnaider outplayed Cristina Bucsa and Miyu Kato to take victory 63 67(5) 10-2, adding the Miami Open crown to their WTA Brisbane title and Olympic silver medal. The victory takes them to No. 2 in the doubles PIF Race to the WTA Finals.

40 Years of Miami Open
The Miami Open celebrated 40 years in 2025 after the inaugural tournament was played in 1985. The moment was celebrated on Wednesday, March 19, when tournament founder Butch Buchholz joined the first-ever Miami Open champions Tim Mayotte and Martina Navratilova on court for a ceremony before the night session. To mark the occasion, Tournament Director James Blake gifted each a Miami Dolphins jersey with their name and the number 40.

Where Celebrities are Entertained
Hard Rock Stadium is known as a global sports and entertainment destination and not only do the world’s top stars come to compete at the venue, but some of the world’s biggest celebrities also come to Hard Rock Stadium to be entertained.

This year’s Miami Open presented by Itaú saw some of the world’s most famous people swing by to catch all the action. Inter Miami and Argentinian forward Leo Messi brought his family to Hard Rock Stadium, a venue he will play in with Inter Miami in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in June. Eight-time Miami Open winner and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams was also in attendance.

Other notable celebrity sightings include Thiago Alcantara, Ray Allen, Rebecca Andrade, Marc Anthony, Odell Beckham Jr., Johnny Bench, Jonas Blue, Jon Bon Jovi, Jake Bongiovi, Millie Bobby Brown, Leo Campana, Juan Martin del Potro, Martin Garriz, Korean Gibbs, Roger Goodell, Draymond Green, Lori Greiner, David Grutman, Kayla Harrison, Buddy Hield, Tyreek Hill, Nikola Jovic, Jonathan Kuminga, Lisa Leslie, Gusttavo Lima, Ludimilla, Anton Lundell, Marina Mabrey, Moses Moody, Joakim Noah, Chad Ochocinco, Gary Payton II, Paul Pogba, Quinten Post, Austin Rivers, Satou Sabally, Isaiah Simmons, Erik Spoelstra and John Wall among many others.

Wheelchair tennis wows again
For the second consecutive year, wheelchair tennis took center stage as some of the world’s best players competed in the Miami Open Wheelchair Invitational. Wheelchair tennis legend and 28-time Grand Slam champion Shingo Kuniedo retained the title he won last year whilst three-time Grand Slam champion Aniek van Koot lifted the women’s trophy.

Padel showcase at the Miami Open
One of the world’s fastest growing sports, padel, joined the party at the Miami Open presented by Itaú. Fans had the chance not only to play on a padel court throughout the tournament, but also could watch world-class padel as the Publix Padel Cup made its debut. Vinny di Francesco and Rodrigo Coello defeated Juan Manuel Vazquez and Jose Carlos Gaspar Campos 62 76 to lift the men’s trophy while Brittany Dubins and Laura Lujan beat Anna Cortiles and Luicelana Perez 63 61 to become women’s champions.

2026 Miami Open presented by Itaú Dates Announced
The 2026 Miami Open presented by Itaú will take place March 15 – 29, once again returning to the iconic Hard Rock Stadium. To learn more and for ticket information, please visit www.MiamiOpen.com. Dates are subject to change.

About the Miami Open presented by Itaú
The 2026 Miami Open will be played March 15 – March 29 at Hard Rock Stadium. The 15-day combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a WTA 1000 event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. The tournament is widely regarded as the most glamorous on the ATP and WTA calendars because of Miami’s unique personality, thriving nightlife, five-star hotels and restaurants, beautiful weather and beaches, and celebrity appeal, as well as its close proximity to both Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

About Itaú Unibanco
Itaú Unibanco’s purpose is to promote people’s power of transformation and we do it through a strategic agenda focused on client centricity and digital transformation, based also on the diversity of our people. The largest bank in Latin America, Itaú Unibanco is present in 18 countries and has more than 70 million customers, among individuals and companies in all segments, to whom we offer the best experiences in financial products and services. Itaú Unibanco has been selected for the 21st consecutive time to be part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), being the only Latin American financial institution to be part of the index since its creation in 1999. www.itau.com.br

About Hard Rock Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a global entertainment destination and curator of world-class events. The best-in-class venue is home to the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami Hurricanes football team, the Orange Bowl, Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, Miami Open presented by Itaú, major concerts, CONMEBOL Copa America 2024™ and FIFA World Cup 2026™. Due to its overall sustainability efforts, the multifunctional venue holds Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification and FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation rating. For more information, visit hardrockstadium.com.