Tennis News: James Blake and the Miami Open of yesteryears

Casper Ruud's venting to the chair umpire over the amenities (or lack thereof) in the players' changing room did not go unnoticed by former player turned Miami Open tournament director James Blake.

Blake spoke about Ruud's outburst saying that he wished it would have been handled privately but understands that Ruud spoke out in the heat of battle during his match. He also said he cleared up the situation by talking with Ruud and his coach/father Christian Ruud whom Blake knew well because he is also a former player.

He said the changing room did not have towels because the towels were used to deal with rain earlier in the week. Social media did not completely buy Blake's explanation saying that towels were on sale at the souvenir shop so it is not as though there was a shortage of towels to give to the players.

Players reflect fondly on the Key Biscayne years of the Miami Open

2018 was the last year that the Miami Open was held at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne. Crandon Park, host of the event for 32 years, had character but also needed critical upgrades. Funding issues persisted prompting the decision to move the tournament to the newly renovated Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, in 2019. It has taken some getting used to watch tennis on a court dropped inside a football stadium.

Fans and players still miss Key Biscayne. Sloane Stephens, a native Floridian, recently appeared on a tennis podcast and spoke about how special it was for her to be the last women's singles champion at Key Biscayne. There are no plans to relocate the tournament back to Key Biscayne, but that will not stop people from pining for the good old days in Key Biscayne.

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