Friday's play at the 2026 Miami Open has looked like much of the previous days of the Masters 1000: It rained. This delayed the start of play and then suspended it once the matches began. This needs to be changed.
The issue, of course, is money. That has to be spent in order to have the kind of facilities that are needed to have players not be constantly stopped by factors they cannot control. This is how Miami is, of course. The rain will fall, almost daily.
Whether it is March or July, having an important tournament in a tropical area should require a bit more financial investment than holding the event outdoors, even if the courts are created through technological magic.
Rain once again delays the 2026 Miami Open
The Masters 1000 is held inside Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins. In the lead-up to the tournament, courts and stands are put together quickly, but exceedingly well, leading to facilities that are fine for the event. But there are no courts that are covered, and that needs to happen.
With the expected rain every year, vendors lose money, and the television broadcast becomes inconsistent. A tennis fan might think they are going to tune in to watch a match featuring their favorite player, only to find that the play has been pushed back 30 minutes and then another 30 minutes.
In Miami, the rain comes up quickly. While it might not last for long, the courts still have to dry. The constant stoppage is becoming a frustrating joke. One that has an easy, if expensive, remedy.
The owner of the Miami Open is MARI, a holding company founded by Ari Emanuel, while Dolphins owner Stephen Ross owns 45 percent of the tournament. Easy money is made for Ross as he also owns Hard Rock Stadium. If rent needs to be paid by the Open, Ross is ultimately paying himself.
Instead, the Masters 1000 needs to have its own long-term location. That means buying land and building facilities. If a couple of the courts are covered, that only enhances the tournament, not makes it less desirable to buy a ticket to see the players perform.
That is unlikely to happen, however. The way the event is currently structured is financially lucrative for the owners, and that is the most important thing to some, if not exactly great for the sport.