By Tucker Verdi
The 2018 Miami Open has kicked off and will feature most of the biggest names in the sport from Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on the men’s side to Venus and Serena Williams and World No. 1 Simona Halep.
Some of the tournaments top players got a chance to sit down with the media and answer questions ranging from Serena’s return to the game, their thoughts on the Miami Open moving to Hard Rock Stadium, and March Madness.
Players participating in media day were Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova, Garbine Muguruza, Caroline Garcia, and Jelena Ostapenko of the WTA Tour and Grigor Dmitrov, Jack Sock, Marin Cilic, Alexander Zverev, and Novak Djokovic of the ATP Tour.
Wozniacki, who enjoyed a red velvet cupcake courtesy of Sasha Zverev, spoke of the relief of winning her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January and how it affects her play now.
“I think once I go to the next Grand Slam – the French Open – I’ll feel differently, I’ll feel less pressure. I think that will be the biggest difference for me.” The former World No. 1 added that her mindset wouldn’t be any different at the Miami Open though, saying, “These tournaments I approach the same way.”
Dmitrov, who called himself a “creature of habit,” said that while he has enjoyed the years of coming to Key Biscayne, that the move next year to Hard Rock Stadium is “exciting” and that “ATP and everyone has done such a great job over the years of trying to please the players.”
Djokovic, who is looking to win his seventh Miami Open to break the tie for most titles with coach Andre Agassi, broke the news that his elbow doesn’t seem to be causing him anymore pain, saying, “Well to be honest with you I actually started playing pain-free in the last two days so its quite refreshing because everything else was pain-involved.”
The former World No. 1 has been using a strange warm-up method to strengthen the muscles around his elbow: tossing a baseball. With a mitt on one hand and a noticeably less yellow ball in the other, Djokovic plays catch with his trainer, explaining, “It’s one of the ways I warm up and get my body and my mind synchronized with a certain motion that I would like to have when I serve because that’s where I have compromised my elbow the most.”
World No. 4 Svitolina, who has the unenviable task of playing either 23-time Grand Slam champ Serena Williams or Naomi Osaka – the winner at Indian Wells riding a hot streak, said she doesn’t have a preference for an opponent, adding “I’m just going to wait for a winner and go from there.”
The young Ukrainian actually participated in the draw ceremony, but says she “didn’t even notice” during the draw that she stood to take on one of the two formidable players.
American No. 1 Jack Sock, who called his play thus far in 2018 “atrocious,” feels that his month off after the Australian Open has him physically and mentally ready to compete.
The Kansas-native was asked on his way out about the state of his NCAA Tournament bracket.
“God awful.”
Sock no doubt hopes he can do his part to get the Miami Open bracket to hold for a while, as he looks to get past fellow American Sam Querrey and into a second consecutive quarterfinal here in Key Biscayne.
About the Miami Open presented by Itaú
The 2018 Miami Open will be played March 19-April 1 at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami. The two-week 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 Premier Mandatory 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 its exotic Miami location, thriving nightlife, five-star hotels and restaurants, beautiful weather and beaches, and its celebrity appeal. For ticket information, call +1.305.442.3367 or visit www.miamiopen.com.
About Itaú
Itau is the largest Latin America privately owned bank, with approximately 94,000 employees and operations in 19 countries throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Itaú’s relationship with sport goes back to the 1970s, when Itaú first sponsored the Itaú Tennis Cup in Brazil in 1970. Itaú has been a sponsor of the Miami Open for the last six years, and also sponsors the Rio Open, the only combined ATP/WTA event in South America. Itaú also supports the Brazilian Women’s Tennis Circuit, only female professional tournament in South America, certified by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), as well as the Tennis Institute Training Center, responsible for the development of young, new talent.
About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media, operating in more than 30 countries. The company represents and manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is one of the largest independent producers and distributors of sports media. IMG also specializes in sports training; league development; and marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions.
