The Miami Open presented by Itau usually launches with a buzzing qualifying slate that sets the tournament’s tempo. This year, Mar. 15 was billed as a “Free Opening Day,” inviting fans to enjoy qualifying clashes and practice sessions without charge. But stormy skies over Hard Rock Stadium halted the celebration as adverse weather forced an unwelcome pause.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms swept across the Miami-Dade County region on Mar. 15. The persistent downpour made the outdoor courts unplayable for most of the day. Tournament officials confirmed the decision through their official social media channels. The announcement informed players and fans about the sudden schedule change.

In a weather update shared on X on Sunday, March 15, the Miami Open account wrote: “Due to inclement weather, all qualifying matches and practices have been cancelled for Sunday 3/15. Match play will begin on Monday, 3/16 at 10 am.”

Most courts at the tournament venue remain fully exposed to weather conditions. Because of that, officials had little choice but to cancel the entire schedule. The matches were supposed to take place at Hard Rock Stadium. Instead, organizers wiped out all matches and practice sessions for the day.

Originally, the schedule included 24 women’s qualifying matches. In total, 48 matches were planned across nine courts along with practice sessions for several main-draw players.

However, persistent rainfall across South Florida caused repeated delays. Eventually, tournament officials had to abandon the entire day of play.

Weather alerts issued by the National Weather Service warned about incoming storm bands. The alerts predicted showers and thunderstorms moving into the Miami-Dade area late in the morning.

By early afternoon, the weather had worsened significantly. Officials determined that the outdoor courts were unsafe for competition. Initially, organizers tried to keep the schedule flexible. Several matches were temporarily listed as “To Be Finished” in case the weather improved later in the day.

But the rain never stopped. Several qualifying matches were either delayed or suspended, including Whitney Osuigwe’s meeting with Donna Vekic and Renata Zarazua’s clash with Martina Trevisan.

The cancellation also affected practice sessions. Players like Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka were unable to train as the courts remained closed. The revised schedule now begins earlier on Monday. Officials hope to complete the first round of qualifying and the final qualifying matches on the same day.

Because of the delay, the confirmation of the 12 qualifying spots in the women’s main draw was also postponed. Several positions in the bracket were temporarily left with placeholder entries.

The main draw is still expected to begin on Tuesday, March 17. Players and fans will now hope for clear skies in Miami.

And perhaps, weather disruptions are not new for the tournament. The Miami Open has experienced similar interruptions several times in the past due to major storms.

Novak Djokovic vs Jakub Mensik final delayed by rain at Miami Open

Last year, the men’s final at the Miami Open experienced a major delay because of rain. The highly anticipated clash between Novak Djokovic and 19-year-old Jakub Mensik at Hard Rock Stadium did not begin as scheduled.

The match was originally set to start at 3 p.m. However, heavy rain and scheduling adjustments pushed the start time back by more than five hours. As a result, the players only walked onto the court at 8:37 p.m. The delay also happened because organizers decided to finish the women’s doubles final before starting the men’s final.

Rain first arrived in South Florida at 12:50 p.m. The downpour interrupted the women’s doubles final between Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider against Cristina Bucsa and Miyu Kato.

Top Stories

Novak Djokovic Withdraws From Miami Open in Sudden Injury Blow As Rankings Take a Major Hit

Aryna Sabalenka Celebrates Emotionally After Finally Getting Elena Rybakina Revenge at Indian Wells

Daniil Medvedev Narrowly Avoids Injury From Carlos Alcaraz’s Dangerous Smash at Indian Wells

Aryna Sabalenka Match Triggers Backlash as Indian Wells Faces Sparse Crowd: “Absolute Disgrace”

Jannik Sinner Issues Crucial Health Update Ahead of Daniil Medvedev Clash at Indian Wells

At that moment, Andreeva and Shnaider were leading 3-0 in the first set. The rain forced players to leave the court as officials paused the match. The players returned at 5:30 p.m. after the rain stopped. Court-drying machines worked to prepare the surface for play.

However, the rain returned again just minutes before warmups. Players carrying umbrellas had to leave the court once more. About an hour later, the players returned again. The match finally resumed at 6:50 p.m., and Andreeva and Shnaider eventually won in a dramatic third-set match tiebreaker.

Later in the evening, the men’s final began. Djokovic fought hard in a tight contest but eventually lost the match to Mensik.

Rain also disrupted other matches during the tournament. In the round of 16, the match between Gael Monfils and Sebastian Korda was interrupted, with the final nine minutes played after a long rain delay.

Weather problems also affected fourth-round action. Alexander Zverev was scheduled to face Arthur Fils in the evening session, but their match was cancelled for the day and moved to the following day.

Now, with weather issues already impacting the qualifying rounds this year, fans are hoping the tournament can resume smoothly on Monday without further interruptions.