All first-round matches at the 2026 Miami Open were cancelled Wednesday after relentless rain swept through South Florida, forcing organizers to postpone play and reshuffle the schedule for the coming days.
Officials had hoped for a window to host a night session on the 5,000-seat Grandstand court, featuring American veteran Venus Williams against Britain’s Francesca Jones, followed by Italy’s Matteo Berrettini facing France’s Alexandre Muller.
But persistent downpours rendered the ocean-blue courts unplayable, leading to a full shutdown around 7 p.m. and the removal of up to 37 matches from the order of play.
The Miami Open, held at Hard Rock Stadium since relocating from Key Biscayne in 2019, is the second leg of the “Sunshine Double,” following the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
The back-to-back WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 events test players with contrasting conditions, shifting from the dry desert of Southern California to Miami’s humid subtropical climate, with more than $20 million in combined prize money and major ranking points at stake.
Defending champions Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic return after triumphant 2025 campaigns.
Sabalenka secured her first Miami crown by defeating American Jessica Pegula in straight sets and entered 2026 in top form after another major win at Indian Wells.
Mensik, then 19, stunned six-time Miami champion Novak Djokovic to claim his maiden Masters 1000 title with a serving showcase highlighted by 14 aces.
Wednesday’s cancellation creates a backlog heading into Thursday, with rain forecasts indicating up to a 95% chance of continued showers.
Organizers plan to resume play on Stadium Court, though the schedule for early-round matches will require compression. Among the players affected are rising stars and established names, including Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and the anticipated night-session duo of Williams and Jones.
At 45, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams is making her 23rd Miami appearance after receiving a wildcard, hoping to defy the eight-match losing streak she carried into the tournament. Her matchup against Jones promised a generational clash, while Berrettini, a former top-10 ATP player known for his heavy serve, was set to face Muller in a compelling opening-round contest.
Despite the weather disruption, excitement remains high for the star-studded field, which includes top seeds Carlos Alcaraz on the men’s side and Sabalenka on the women’s.
